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SUMMARY OF 
WORLD WAR WORK 

OF THE 

AMERICAN Y M C A 



With the Soldiers and Sailors of America 
at home, on the sea, and overseas 

With the men of the Allied Armies 

and with the Prisoners of War in 

all parts of the world 




FOR PRIVATE DISTRIBUTION 






Copyright, 1920, by 

The International Committee of 

Young Men's Christian Associations 



Cm 



DEC 23 IS20 



0)CI.A604685 



CONTENTS 



Foreword . 



Part I 



I. 

II. 

III. 

IV. 

V. 

VI. 

VII. 

VIII. 

IX. 

X. 

XL 

XII. 



The World War 

The Y M C A — Its Resources and Preparation for Service. 

Mobilization of the Forces of the American Y 

America Gathers Her Army — ^the Y in the Service 

With the American Navy 

With the Men behind the Armies — War Industries 

With the American Army at Embarkation — and at Sea. . . . 

With the American Army in the United Kingdom 

With the American Army in France 

With the American Army in Germany 

Coming Home with the American Army 

With the Armies of Our Allies 



1. 
2. 
3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

9. 
10. 
11. 
12. 
13. 
14. 
15. 
16. 
17. 
18. 



W 

w 
w 
w 
w 
w 
w 
w 
w 
w 
w 
w 
w 
w 
w 
w 
w 
w 



th the French Army 

th the Chinese Labor Corps in France 

th the Armies of Portugal in France 

th the Italian Army 

th the Armies in Russia 

th the American Troops at the Arctic Sea 

th the Armies in Siberia 

th the Armies in the Far East 

th the Armies in Greece 

th the Armies in Egypt, Palestine, and the Dardanelles. 
:th the Victorious Army at the Capture of Jerusalem.. . . 

th the Armies in Mesopotamia 

th the Indian Army 

th the Armies in East Africa 

th the Armies in Turkey and Asia Minor 

th the Armies in the Balkans 

th the Government in Czecho-Slovakia. . 

th the Armies in Poland 



XIII. With the Prisoners of War. 



1 
2 

5 
8 
11 
14 
15 
18 
24 
41 
47 
53 
54 
59 
61 
63 
66 
69 
71 
74 
76 
79 
85 
86 
89. 
91 
91 
93 
94 
96 
100 



Part II 

I. Administration — the Organization of All War Work in 

America and Abroad 109 

II. Personnel — Recruiting an Army of Workers under the Red 

Triangle 112 

III. Huts — the Armies' "Home" and the Soldiers' "Club" 119 

iii 



IV. Entertainment — Keeping Up the Spirits of the Troops. . . . 125 

V. Athletics — Building Up the Fighting Forces 132 

Y M C A Casualty List 148 

Citations and Decorations 149 

VI. Education — Giving the Soldier His Opportunity 150 

VII. Post Exchanges — ^Carrying the Canteen Burden for the 

Army 161 

VIII. Leave Areas — the Soldiers' Holidays behind the Firing 

Lines 169 

IX. Remittances — Sending the Soldiers' Money Back Home. . , . 177 

X. Religion and Citizenship — the Crusade for God and Country 179 
XI. Transportation and Supplies — Getting Provisions and 

Men to the Front 185 

XII. Relationships — Cooperating with the Relief and Welfare 

Organizations 196 

XIII. Resources — How the American People Gave Over $161,000,000 205 

XIV. Finances — What Was Accomplished with the People's 

Money , . .\ . . 206 

Honor Roll 229 

Wounded and Gassed 237 



FOREWORD 

The purpose of this book is to report official facts to the vast army 
of patriotic Americans "at home" who contributed the funds required 
to conduct the World War Work of the Y M C A. It is esti- 
mated that the $161,000,000 intrusted to the Y M C A in the various 
drives came from more than 15,000,000 contributors. Over 200,000 
men and women volunteered for service with the Y in the Armies at 
home and abroad. From this army of volunteers, 25,926 were selected. 
Workers and dollars came from every part of the country, every pro- 
fession and occupation, every religious denomination. The Y M C A 
was an officially designated channel through which this vast stream of 
material and human power was poured by the American people for the 
benefit of its soldiers. 

This book also undertakes to interpret in terms of service the value 
of the work of volunteers and the 25,926 loyal men and women who 
served with the American Red Triangle in the World War — to 
record how these workers in the armies of twenty-eight nations 
rendered a free service to the soldiers requiring cash expenditures 
of $129,000,000; how in addition to this free service they conducted 
the Post Exchanges for the American Expeditionary Forces under 
Government Orders to the extent of $50,000,000; and how great ex- 
penditures still continue for welfare work throughout the world. 

Approximately seven-eighths of the service was rendered directly 
to American soldiers. The remaining one-eighth was rendered directly 
to Allied soldiers, in response to urgent representations of Allied Gov- 
ernments and Commanders that such service would make their troops 
better fighters. Its indirect benefit to America may be judged by 
General Pershing's statement, June 25, 1917: "The greatest service 
which America can render to the cause of the Allies at the present 
moment, is to extend the work of the Young Men's Christian Asso- 
ciation to the entire French Army." 

A specific military function was assigned to the Y M C A. Its duty 
was to assist in maintaining and promoting morale. It had been 
proved in the Spanish War and on the Mexican Border that Y M C A 
service made better fighters. That was the justification for allotting 
it space and privileges in the congested camps and lines of communica- 
tion, all the way to the battle line. 

War is a grim business and until the War had been won military 
efficiency was the sole consideration. As a mere purveyor of comforts 
and luxuries, no organization could have been granted a share of the 
inadequate transportation for its supplies and workers. Because 
Y M C A welfare work and other activties grappled effectively with 



intangible foes that reduce tlie fighting efficiency of soldiers, and that 
cannot be reached by military regulations and penalties, its service 
was welcomed by the American and Allied Governments and com- 
manders as contributing directly to victory. 

These pages record in summary the ways in which the Y M C A 
performed its assigned duty. The following letter by Lieutenant 
Colonel Wheeler, with indorsement by General Pershing, expressed 
the official Army view of its function and performance : 

"There is no one factor contributing more to the morale of the Army 
in France than the Y M C A. The value of the organization cannot 
be overestimated. Give me 900 men who have a Y M C A rather than 
1000 men who have none, and I will have better fighters every time." 
To which General Pershing added : "The conclusions and opinions of 
Lieutenant Colonel Wheeler are concurred in by these Headquarters." 

A complete history of the Red Triangle in the War would include 
detailed accounts of the work of the British, Canadian, Australian, 
New Zealand, and Indian Associations, together with all the special 
service rendered by other national movements over the whole world. 
In this survey it has been possible only to glance here and there at 
this allied work where and when American workers touched hands 
with those of other nations. 

This preliminary summary is intended to present a rapid glance at 
essential facts. Part I includes a survey of the world-wide service of 
the American Y M C A during the War. Part II is a brief report, 
mainly statistical, of the various departments and activities. 

The limitations imposed upon this abstract make it impossible to 
pay any adequate tribute to the work of other organizations. The 
Relief organizations, with the American Red Cross at their head, have 
done a work whose extent and quality will be remembered as long as 
human history exists. These institutions worked in an entirely dif- 
ferent field from the Y, and rendered an essential service different in 
character. As a result of these activities during the War, the word 
"relief" has received a new meaning. 

The Y work in the War was in the field of social welfare. In the 
same group belong the war organizations of the Y W C A, the Knights 
of Columbus, the Jewish Welfare Board, the Salvation Army, the 
War Camp Community Service, and the American Library Asso- 
ciation, each of which played its part and earned and received the 
approbation which is its due measure. In this group, the Y faced 
problems immeasurably greater than any other institution, and in 
volume of work was compelled to attack, according to trustworthy 
estimates, more than ninety per cent of the total task overseas. 

Owing to the summary nature of this account only the names of 
those who headed large geographical areas are included. This has 
meant the exclusion of the names of many of those who held major 
positions and did a service worthy of record, and of the thousands 



of field workers who deserve the highest commendation. It was 
obviously impossible to attempt any personal appreciation within 
the scope of this volume. 

An official history of the American Y M C A in the World War is in 
the course of preparation. Records are being compiled by the War 
Historical Bureau of the National War Work Council. 

It must be borne in mind that such figures as are given in this book 
are the best available as of record to date. They are tentative and 
subject to correction as further information is received. 

All who were participants in the work and who may read this 
preliminary summary are earnestly requested to make suggestions 
or to send information which may be of value in the final preparation 
of the official history. It is exceedingly important that errors in facts 
or figures which may occur in so comprehensive an undertaking 
should be corrected. 

This invitation is extended especially to such valuable sources as 
the 25,926 Y M C A workers in the War, to Government, Army and 
Navy officials, members of all other welfare and relief organizations, 
members of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and all 
other veterans' organizations. The Records Department of the Y M 
C A contains thousands of original documents, official orders, minutes 
of meetings, detailed reports of every department of service, records 
of receipts and expenditures covering every phase and relationship. It 
would value all additional material from outside sources, such as 
private diaries, personal experiences, or private information which may 
assist in making a complete and authentic record of the service ren- 
dered by the Y M C A in America's contribution to the history of wel- 
fare work in the World War. 



PART I 

I— THE WORLD WAR 

The World War (July 23, 1914-November 11, 1918), fought in 
defense of civilization and democracy, involved 28 warring nations 
with populations of 1,575,135,000, or 90 per cent of the peoples of the 
earth. It covered a period of four years, three months, fifteen days, 
or a total of 1,567 days. The armies in this gigantic test of civiliza- 
tion reached a total of 59,176,800 soldiers. The battle deaths alone 
were 7,781,800; wounded 18,681,200; prisoners and missing 7,080,500; 
total casualties 33,543,500, practically all in the prime of life, the 
young men of the world. The direct money cost is estimated as 
high as $249,000,000,000, including war loans, while economists esti- 
mate the indirect cost to commerce and trade at 151 billions more. 
These approximate figures, compiled from recent Government rec- 
ords, subject to readjustment, indicate the magnitude of the struggle 
to maintain the ideals of human freedom. 

America in the World War 

America's service in the War was to create in nineteen months, 
out of a nation trained to peace, a man-power reserve force of 
26,000,000 young men (18 to 45 years of age), the vigor and man- 
hood of the nation, 48 per cent, of the entire male population. There 
were placed under arms 4,800,000, while 2,000,000 were transported 
over 3000 miles across the seas and landed in France, in the darkest 
days of the World crisis, in itself one of the most notable achieve- 
ments in history. It is agreed by the Allies that this demonstration 
of military and moral force marked the turning point of the War. 
More than six-sevenths of a total American fighting force of 1,400,000 
foug*ht with their Allies in the 47 days' offensive which proved to be 
the decisive action. America spent $22,000,000,000, loaned her Allies 
in excess of $10,000,000,000 more, and placed her powerful industrial 
system at the entire disposal of the Allied cause. Her casualties were 
small in the aggregate, approximating 300,000 men; practically half 
of these occurring at the peak of her war effort, the seven weeks' 
battle of the Meuse-Argonne. 

Auxiliaries of Modern Democracy — Social Service Organizations 

The World War developed many great forces in modern civiliza- 
tion ; it was the builder of a new epoch. Commerce, science, politics, 
intellectual life, as well as industry and finance, every element of 

1 



2 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

civilized life in the belligerent nations was put at the service of the 
War, Behind the military effort, complementary if not indispensable 
to it, stands the mobilized mass effort of civilian social service, the 
huge war auxiliary of a modern democracy. The agencies of this 
effort were the organized social welfare bodies throughout the world. 
These organizations prepared the way for cooperation and were 
active instruments of aid long before the Declaration of War by Con- 
gress on April 6, 1917. During the War the utilization of these 
organizations in direct service in every arm of the American forces 
abroad, at home, and throughout the Allied Nations, was a unique 
experiment on a scale as much beyond any previous parallel as were 
the military factors themselves. They built up an army within the 
Army. They furnished the mediums by which the subordination of 
every element of American life to the service was carried out in 
terms of an immense and orderly system. They attacked on a huge 
scale the greatest problem of the War to civilian armies, the crucial 
problem of morale. They developed the fine achievements of the 
Allies in this field into what became incomparably the most exten- 
sive service for sustaining the .spirit of the soldier that the world 
has ever seen, "a contribution to victory as solid as that of any 
successful campaign in the field." It is a pleasure to record in this 
handbook this well-earned recognition to every social welfare and 
relief organization that entered into the World War. 

II— THE YMCA— ITS RESOURCES AND 
PREPARATION FOR SERVICE 

The Y Is a World-Wide Brotherhood 

The limitations of this brief record (a preliminary abstract report 
of the National War Work Council of the Young Men's Christian 
Association) restrict its pages to that social organization; to the re- 
sponsibilities accepted and the duties performed. The YMCA is 
the oldest in the. social welfare service. It is a world-wide organiza- 
tion of more than 1,200,000 young men in all nations, a universal 
club for preserving the highest standards of civilization. Its emblem, 
the triangle bearing the words BODY, MIND, SPIRIT, symbolizes 
its true purpose, to assist and encourage the young manhood of the 
world to develop itself into a strong race — physically, mentally, 
spiritually. This organization, representing the principles of Chris- 
tian civilization, is a system of thoroughly democratic, self-govern- 
ing, independent Associations in twenty-eight countries. As a per- 
manent organization with a chain of Association buildings ready for 
immediate service in all parts of the world, it was the first to enter 
the War in 1914. The active force and service of the whole organi- 



RESOURCES AND PREPARATION 3 

zation were placed behind the governments and armies throughout 
the World War. 

The Y M C A in North America 

At the time of America's entrance into the War the fully organ- 
ized Associations of the Y in North America numbered 2087 (United 
States 1986) with 5188 employed officers, and a reported membership 
of 720,478. The total value of the property and funds paid in was 
$110,600,634. The Associations and memberships were divided as 
follows: City Associations 699, membership 516,336; County Asso- 
ciations 195, membership 18,587; Railroad Associations 235, member- 
ship 107,870; Student Associations (exclusive of Colored and Indian 
schools) 680, membership 57,515; Army and Navy Associations 27; 
Colored Men's Associations 140, membership 14,829; other Asso- 
ciations (Community, Indian, etc.) Ill, all of these in the United 
States and Canada alone. 

Military Experience of the Y in Seven Wars — Seventy Years 

The "mother" of modern welfare work in war is Florence Night- 
ingale. History has gratefully recorded her magnificent work in the 
Crimean War (1854-56). The first recorded war observations of the 
Y M C A were at the battle of Solferino in Italy, when Franco-Italian 
troops defeated the Austrians in 1859. British Y M C A observers 
then reported the need of Christian welfare work in warfare. The first 
war work of the American YMCA was in the Civil War (1861- 
1865) when it called the convention which resulted in the United 
States Christian Commission, "one of the most beneficent agencies 
ever devised to end the miseries of war." This Commission sent 
4859 delegates to the battle field, distributing $3,000,000 worth of 
stores and over $2,500,000 in cash. In the Spanish-American War 
(1898) 528 Y secretaries served with the American troops in Cuba, 
Porto Rico, and the Philippines. This resulted in a request from 
the War and Navy Departments to establish the Y work as a per- 
manent service. This request was immediately met and the Y has 
since been a service organization in the principal posts and ports of 
the United States and its insular possessions. In the Russo-Japanese 
War (1903-04) the value of such welfare work as a factor in maintain- 
ing the spirit of the army was recognized by the Japanese Government. 
A chain of Y huts was established. American secretaries were 
loaned by the International Committee to the Japanese National 
Council, and were partly financed by gifts from the United States. 
The Japanese Y secretaries, to whom much credit is due for their not- 
able service, cordially accepted the cooperation of the Americans. This 
work was especially commended by the Mikado. In the Boer War 



4 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

(1899-1901) the Canadian Y cooperated with the South African and 
inaugurated camp and field welfare service that opened up the first 
vista of opportunity which the British brought to fine achievement 
during the World War. 

First Social Welfare Organization in World War 

At the outbreak of the World War the British and Canadian, 
the Australian, New Zealand, South African and Indian Y M C A's 
joined the colors — the first welfare organizations as distinguished 
from the great relief groups. Within two weeks 250 centers were 
opened in Great Britain. Before America entered the War there 
were over 1500 centers in full swing. It was this experience that 
established the hut type of service on an extensive scale, with the 
general features that have proved so valuable under so many vary- 
ing conditions. This work reached outside the British Isles and 
Canada to Egypt, the Dardanelles, Malta, the Mediterranean ports, 
India, Mesopotamia, East and South Africa, and Australia. Through- 
out the British Empire more than 150 American secretaries worked 
with the British Y. It was in India that an American secretary, 
Edward Clark Carter, National Secretary for India (who later became 
Chief Secretary of the A E F-Y M C A in France) began his war work. 
The Indian YMCA accompanied the troops from India to a dozen 
fronts on three continents and opened a chain of huts in India itself. 

American Y Extends Its Service to Europe 

Dr. John R. Mott, in 1914 (nearly three years before America 
entered the struggle), embarked for war-stricken Europe, as General 
Secretary of the International Committee of North America, General 
Secretary of the World's Student Christian Federation, and Ameri- 
can member of the World's Committee. His purpose was to stimu- 
late welfare work for the soldiers in all countries. The assurances 
which he gave of American support in both men and money resulted 
in immediate extension of activities. Work was begun with the French 
and Russian soldiers, in the Austrian and Hungarian Armies and 
among the Bulgarians, and later, with the Italian Army. The Ameri- 
can Y supplied men and money for work with the Roumanian Army 
under patronage of the Queen of Roumania. Dr. Mott's observations 
in Germany (Autumn of 1914) resulted in the inauguration of the 
Prisoners of War work (described on page 100), a great hurtiane 
achievement in the prison camps of all the warring countries. Durinp- 
the three years before America entered the War this work by Ameri- 
cans in the various armies, and among the prisoners of war, was con- 
stantly enlarged and vast sums of money were provided for it in 
America. Dr. Mott made extended trips of inspection each year. 



MOBILIZATION OF THE AMERICAN Y 5 

The Y along the Mexican Border • 

The crisis on the Mexican border (1916) forced the American 
Government to mobilize 150,000 troops along the Rio Grande. This 
was the largest number of American soldiers on the field under one 
command in half a century. The American Y entered immediately 
into this service; during nine months it assigned 374 secretaries to 
duties in the Army along the border, providing 42 buildings and 6 
big tents with an extensive traveling equipment. This crisis proved 
to be the training stage whereby America produced a modern army. 

First to Offer Services to American Government 

When America entered the World War (April 6, 1917), the Amer- 
ican Y M C A offered its services to the Government of the United 
States— again the first of the civil or social welfare organizations. 
Within a few hours after rupture of diplomatic relations, Dr. John 
R. Mott sent a telegram to President Wilson, and a few days later had 
an extended interview with him and came to an agreement as to 
Y M C A cooperation. With John S. Tichenor, the Senior Secretary 
of the Army and Navy Department, he then called on the Secretary 
of War and the Secretary of the Navy, pledging the loyal coopera- 
tion of all Y M C A agencies. Secretary Baker and Secretary Daniels 
accepted the offer with hearty appreciation and extended every 
courtesy and facility in their power. The acceptance of this service, 
it must be remembered, was based on achieved results not only with 
the men of the Army and Navy in the United States but with the 
soldiers and sailors of a dozen nations under a great variety of con- 
ditions. 

The limitations of the views of the Y leaders were identical with 
those of the military leaders themselves. No one ever before had 
faced the multiplicity of problems inherent in modern warfare. There 
were no data on the handling of huge masses of men gathered over 
night as nation after nation plunged into the conflict. But the Y 
entered this service, not only with the nucleus of a general organi- 
zation, with an administrative force, and with world-wide connec- 
tions ; but also with tried methods which were at that very moment 
proving their effectiveness in the armies of our Allies. Behind the 
American Government and its Army and Navy the Y M C A placed 
its resources. 

Ill— MOBILIZATION OF THE FORCES OF THE 
AMERICAN Y 

Organization of National War Work Council 

Men of clear vision saw the magnitude of the task before the 
country. Industry, finance, and labor realized the unprecedented 



6 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

problems before them. The ¥ M C A recognized that its own share 
would compel it to assume tremendous responsibilities with a great 
and widely extended organization. Its desire was to perform every 
duty within its power — and it was willing to carry as heavy a part 
of the burden as its resources would allow. An immediate con- 
ference was called of representative Association leaders from all 
its groups throughout the country, so that unity of action might be 
assured. This conference convened — four days after the Declara- 
tion of War — at Garden City, Long Island, April 10, 1917. It in- 
cluded representatives of local, state, and international organizations. 
From these deliberations came the recommendation to the Inter- 
national Committee, through its Army and Navy Department, to 
appoint a National War Work Council of Young Men's Christian 
Associations, with authority to organize and carry on a war work 
program which would meet to the fullest degree possible the needs 
of the nation's defenders. The International Committee met at once 
and adopted the recommendation. 

Personnel of the Executive Staff 

At the first meeting of the National War Work Council, held in 
New York, April 28, 1917, there was read an order, signed by Presi- 
dent Wilson, giving official recognition to the organization as a 
valuable adjunct and asset to the Service and enjoining officers to 
render the fullest practicable assistance and cooperation. The Chair- 
man of the Army and Navy Department, William Sloane, and the 
General Secretary of the International Committee, John R. Mott, 
became Chairman and General Secretary, respectively, of the Na- 
tional War Work Council. Work was immediately begun in the 
various Reserve Officers' Training Camps. 

Four Associate General Secretaries constituted the executive staff. 
Fletcher S. Brockman, who had been YMCA General Secretary for 
China, acted as general assistant to Dr. Mott. In charge of work for 
soldiers and sailors in the United States was J. S. Tichenor, formed}^ 
Senior Secretary of the Army and Navy Department. C. V. Hibbard, 
who had had charge of the work for Allied Prisoners of War, super- 
vised all overseas work. Charles R. Towson, the Senior Secretary of 
the Industrial Department, took charge of all the work in war in- 
dustries. 

The Secretarial field administration was subject to changing per- 
sonnel but the following men held major positions over a considerable 
period : E. C. Carter, Secretary in Chief A E F-Y M C A ; R. L. Ewing, 
associate to Mr. Carter in charge of A E F-Y MCA, Great Britain ; 
D. A. Davis, Senior American Secretary in France in the work of the 
Foyer du Soldat; J. S. Nollen, Senior Secretary in charge of work with 



MOBILIZATION OF THE AMERICAN Y 7 

the Italian Army; E. T. Colton, Senior Secretary for work in Russia; 
A. C. Harte in general charge of all work among Prisoners of War; 
William Jessop in charge of the Army work in Egypt. 

The Association Lined-Up for Service 

Behind the National War Work Council stood the united Asso- 
ciation movement in the United States. The local Associations were 
the foundations for the support of the whole work. They played a 
leading part in securing the supplies of money, and of men and 
women, necessary for the huge undertaking. Through the whole 
country. City, County, Railroad, Student, Industrial, and Colored 
Association leaders organized their communities for efifective sup- 
port. The State Committees backed the program from start to finish. 
Constant appeals were made from Headquarters to all these bodies 
through the whole period of the War and the final reckoning shows 
that not once did they fail in this critical situation. 

It is impossible to estimate the full value of the local Associa- 
tions; not only did they uphold the National War Work Council, but 
they rendered untold service, largely at their own expense, to sol- 
diers and sailors in their own communities throughout the entire 
country, thus setting up nearly 2000 centers for action. City Asso- 
ciations threw their doors wide open and multiplied their regular 
facilities on an expanding scale. They freely provided such fea- 
tures as these : Entertainment with music, moving pictures, and 
theatrical talent, at Association buildings ; dinner parties and social 
functions, at private homes opened to enlisted men by the appeal 
of the Association; inspirational features, such as religious meet- 
ings, interviews with Christian men for counsel, and public ad- 
dresses to inform enlisted men regarding the issues of the war; 
creature comforts, such as refreshments, shower baths, swimming 
pools, and gymnasia [the latter were in numberless cases transformed 
at night to serve as dormitories filled with cots for enlisted men] 
countless acts of personal service, not recorded but of very real 
help to enlisted men urgently needing aid, from the sending of a 
telegram to the securing of a clergyman to administer baptism. 

The service of the Y M C A thus began with the soldier at his 
home, and then followed him, as we shall see later in these pages, 
to the furthermost parts of the world. City, Railroad, and Industrial 
Associations, wherever possible, oflfered their full membership priv- 
ileges without charge to men in the service and during the demobili- 
zation period, with practical unanimity, they gave all discharged 
service men a complimentary membership for three months. The 
rehabilitation of great numbers of rapidly discharged soldiers, sail- 
ors, and marines was greatly aided by the prompt service of city 



8 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

Associations in securing employment for thousands of men, entirely 
without charge. In many cities the Association Employment De- 
partment was recognized as one of the most capable allies of the 
United States Employment Service. 

Serving Millions of American Soldiers at Home 

The extent of this work, even before the soldier had left his 
own home town, is suggested by these statistics : City Associations 
reported totals of 2,912,300 and 4,347,100 services to men in uniform 
for the years ending April 30, 1918, and April 30, 1919, respectively. 
All figures giving totals throughout this book refer necessarily to ser- 
vices rendered in the aggregate ; that is : whenever the same soldier or 
sailor was served on several occasions, each service is recorded in the 
total. 

The labor of home service was increased by the absence of approxi- 
mately 700 city secretaries engaged in war work. 

There is no magic by which unselfish service becomes thereby 
costless ; every service creates its additional expense. These local 
Associations, by reason of their war duties, have borne tremendous 
additional expenses when their normal income was markedly de- 
creased. The majority of the city Associations financed their war 
activities without aid from the National War Work Council. But 
in cities where the service undertaken was altogether beyond the 
local resources, the Associations availed themselves of grants by 
the War Work Council for specific work on behalf of soldiers and 
sailors, according to a budget approved in advance by representa- 
tives of the Council. This made possible the addition to certain local 
staffs of an adequate number of special war work secretaries. 

The National War Work Council granted to these city Associa- 
tions for work among soldiers, the sum of $2,397,404 between April 
26, 1917, and December 31, 1919. 

IV— AMERICA GATHERS HER ARMY— THE Y 
IN THE SERVICE 

Leaving Home with the Boys 

The Government of the United States called millions of young 
men — the youth of the nation — from their homes and ordinary occu- 
pations to concentrate them in the great training camps. This vast 
citizen army was hastily mobilized under emergency supervision. 
Departing from mobilization centers, where hundreds of home friends 
bade them farewell, they started on the first lap of one of the longest 
and most adventurous journeys in the world's history — to "save the 



THE Y IN THE SERVICE 9 

world for democracy." At this critical moment the Y M C A foresaw 
its first great duty — to extend immediate cooperation to the Govern- 
ment. It sent out Y representatives to establish relations with the 
soldier; to advise him as to the conditions in the camp to which he 
was going, and the surroundings under which he would be trained; 
and to lay the foundation for constructive work throughout the war. 
Then came the long, hard train trips. Trains were crowded; food 
was often hard to get. The Y's whole effort was directed to increase 
comfort and offer its friendly service wherever desired. 

More than 5000 troop trains en route to camps in the United 
States had representatives of the Y on board during the critical 
period of July 1, 1917, to October 30, 1918. Wherever possible there 
were two or three secretaries. These trains carried a total of 2,640,- 
000 men. 

With the Soldiers in the Training Camps 

The American Army was gathered into sixteen National Guard 
camps, sixteen National Army camps, and a large number of centers 
for the training of officers, ambulance men, aviators, etc. It is un- 
necessary to recount the speed with which these camps were estab- 
lished and filled with soldiers — it was characteristic of American 
energy and genius in achieving results. The Y kept pace with the 
camp construction and in a large majority of cases was ready at the 
opening with its service. 

The swift erection, equipment, and manning of approximately 
1200 units of Y service was accomplished in the face of all the diffi- 
culties incident to that strenuous period; 952 buildings were erected 
and equipped at a total cost of $8,338,317. 

These, during the period of the War, were all practically perma- 
nent posts, and it was possible to establish work on a permanent 
basis with a regular hut staff which varied from three to six men. 
There were also camp and district executives and a general executive 
staff in each of the six military departments. These supervisory 
staffs included specialists for such work as physical, educational, 
recreational, and religious activities. The buildings were designed 
to serve so far as possible as a substitute for many features of club, 
home, school, theater, and church. The peculiar value of this service 
is surely established by the fact that they were thronged day after 
day and that every facility was made use of to the fullest extent. 
Necessarily, figures of attendance are only estimates, but the com- 
pilation of such estimates indicates: 

The aggregate attendance at Y huts in the United States was 
over 400,000,000. 

When the ncAv soldier entered the camp he found the Y ready to 



10 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

help him in countless little ways, such as sending his civilian clothing 
back home, providing writing paper and postage stamps, advising 
on matters of the daily routine, and giving information on all sorts 
of subjects. Regular programs were conducted in each building. 
Of necessity these were largely the same throughout the whole coun- 
try. A typical program which appeared to satisfy the men included 
the following: two evenings each week for motion pictures, one eve- 
ning for a special entertainment, one for an educational lecture, one 
for athletic stunts, and two for religious meetings. Outside the 
huts there was always an extensive educational and recreational 
program, in barracks, in company streets, and on the athletic field. 
Through the cooperation of the American Library Association there 
was a library in each hut. 

From April 26, 1917, to October 31, 1919, over $4,800,000 was spent 
on the operation and msaintenance of YMCA service buildings in 
American Training Camps; over $1,400,000 in educational literature, 
lectures, French instruction, and library service; upward of $1,400,000 
for entertainment exclusive of the motion picture exhibitions on which 
alone was spent over $3,000,000; while athletics cost nearly $1,800,000. 
The Y forces also handled 280,000,000 pieces of mail for the soldiers 
and sailors. 

Over $39,000,000 was spent in the work in the United States and 
the Insular Possessions up to December 31, 1919. About 12,000 sec- 
retaries served in the home camps. 

This is exclusive of the large number of volunteer workers who 
gave time and effort freely in every section of the country, making 
a grand total of many thousands more. 

Watching the Mexican Border during the war 

In the face of the impressive conflict in Europe and Asia it was 
forgotten by many that the situation on the Mexican Border con- 
tinued throughout the War. The previously established service was 
maintained in 25 buildings and 70 outposts stretched out over a line 
3500 miles long. The traveling motion picture equipment especially 
was of great service to small detachments in lonely situations. 

With the Student Army in American Colleges 

In 1918, the Government of the United States inaugurated a radi- 
cal departure in military training by taking over practically all the 
institutions of higher education and establishing therein the Students' 
Army Training Corps. These men represented the youngest mem- 
bers of the draft army. The colleges of the United States, like the 
colleges of other countries, from the very beginning contributed 



WITH THE AMERICAN NAVY 11 

volunteers to the Army out of all proportion to their numbers. It 
is also noteworthy that they have a splendid record in gifts to the 
war welfare agencies. When the colleges became thus militarized, 
an organization was immediately set up by the Y and service was 
introduced into each of these great student camps. The coming of 
the Armistice ended the Students' Army Training Corps after it 
had existed only a few months, but during that period the Y had 
spent over $560,000 in the various institutions. 

The Y in the Insular Possessions 

When the United States entered the War the Philippine Senate 
offered President Wilson 25,000 Filipino troops. About 10,000 men 
were enrolled for training in the Tomas Claudio Camp. In October, 
1918, the Y M C A opened buildings operated by seven secretaries. 
A successful work along standard lines was promoted until the camp 
was closed in February, 1919. The buildings were always crowded 
by soldiers. 

In Porto Rico the day after the opening of the first training camp 
(August, 1917) the General Secretary of the Y in Porto. Rico was at 
work with his organization. As the training camps expanded the Y 
force was increased until 30 secretaries served the soldiers in three 
camps. The work was promoted on parallel lines with that performed 
in American Continental camps. About 15 per cent of the men, the 
large part being illiterate, joined writing and reading courses. 

In the Canal Zone work similar to that in the Home Camps was 
carried on in nine posts, and two large service clubs or Army and 
Navy Y M C A's were operated in Balboa and Cristobal. 

An effective service was rendered the many small scattered posts 
of Marines in the West Indies, for whom recreational material was 
provided and motion picture films were furnished. 



V -WITH THE AMERICAN NAVY 

The Navy in the World War performed a significant service that 
historians will estimate as a powerful factor in the achievement of 
the American nation. More than 425,000 men and 1400 ships were 
in the service. General Pershing in his report to Congress pays this 
tribute: "To our sister service we owe the safe arrival of our 
armies and their supplies. It is most gratifying to record that there 
has never been such a perfect understanding between these two 
branches of the service." 

The Navy Y M C A proved a valuable adjunct in this accomplish- 
ment. It had been called into existence during the Spanish-American 



12 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

War. Large Association buildings had been erected at American 
naval stations — Boston, Newport, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Norfolk, 
San Francisco, and Honolulu — to serve as their "home ashore" for 
men of the Navy and Marine Corps, providing lodging, refreshment 
and entertainment, reading and writing rooms, educational classes, 
Bible classes, and religious meetings. Thus a solid basis was formed 
for the organization which the Y built up when the United States 
entered the World War. 

On Home Service with the Navy 

After war was declared new naval bases and training stations 
sprang up along the coasts and the Great Lakes. The work in the 
United States and its Insular Possessions was under the direction 
of John S. Tichenor, who was represented in each of the departments 
or areas by a department executive. 

Shortly after the signing of the Armistice 482 secretaries were 
serving the Navy and Marine Corps at 49 centers in 131 Units. 

At home such huts as that at Newport News and the Hudson Hut 
in Hoboken welcomed the men of the Navy. The Y also shipped 
recreational supplies and films to 31 small Navy units in the West 
Indies, and men were served in Y M C A buildings in the Canal Zone, 
Guam, Olongapo, Cavite, Shanghai, and Hankow. To give a general 
idea of the extent of the work promoted by the Navy Y at home a few 
figures will be illuminating: 

It was estimated that the various units attracted an attendance 
of 3,250,000 per month in the lastter half of 1918 alone. 

Free stationery was furnished to the extent of over 2,000,000 letter 
heads per month. The educational class attendance ran into over 2000 
per month, the average at each session being 16-17. Motion picture 
shows were presented twice a week at each unit with an average 
attendance of over 400. Religious meetings were held at practically 
all units. 

The educational courses and classes in the Navy were highly 
developed activities. The standard of the Naval men was un- 
usually high. There were more calls for trigonometry and algebra 
than for arithmetic; other chief subjects were geometry, geography, 
U. S. history, French, shorthand, navigation, and physics. After 
the signing of the Armistice younger boys enlisted for a period of 
four years ; their educational equipment was more elementary and 
the chief subjects during 1919 were penmanship, shorthand, type- 
writing, arithmetic, English, Spanish, electricity, and gas engines. 
Athletic activities up to the Armistice consisted chiefly of mass per- 
formances. 

The influenza epidemic which swept the country in the Autumn 



WITH THE AMERICAN NAVY 13 

of 1918 was an opportunity for the Y to do the best that it could in 
assisting the relief organizations in a great crisis. Practically every 
Y unit was turned into a hospital, the secretaries working continu- 
ously as hospital orderlies and spending their time with the sick 
and dying. Almost 75 per cent of the secretaries fell ill of the malady 
and several of them died. Note should be made of the work done for 
wounded men at the hospitals. Special equipment was made avail- 
able and trained physical directors were assigned to help in over- 
coming defects by means of graded exercises. 

With the Overseas Service 

Throughout the entire war period a combined Army and Navy 
work was carried on for soldiers, sailors, and marines at the ports 
of entry, such as Liverpool, Southampton, Bordeaux, St. Nazaire, 
Brest, and the cities of London and Paris. In the strictly naval 
fields, such as the mine laying bases in Scotland, the naval aviation 
camps on the coasts of Ireland and France and the bases at Corfu 
and Gibraltar, the Y carried out a specialized naval work. 

In order that the Association might be in constant touch with 
the Naval Force Commander's office, the headquarters of the Navy^ 
Department were established in London at the Central Office of the 
American Y M C A for the United Kingdom. A secondary office 
for the administration of the naval field in France was established 
in Paris. 

The Y in its effort on behalf of the enlisted men at all times 
received the fullest cooperation from the Navy officers and higher 
officials. Edgar McNaughton, for most of the period the Chief Navy 
Secretary, was repeatedly called into conference with the Naval Force 
Commander to consider plans for the comfort of the men at different 
ports and bases. The object was to render service to all stations no 
matter how isolated, and to stimulate and sustain the morale of the 
men. 

At the signing of the Armistice the Y was promoting work from 
Archangel, northern Russia, to Corfu, Greece, including all the avia- 
tion camps in Ireland, France, and Italy. During the days of the 
Armistice new stations at Kirkwall and Spalato were opened. At 
Constantinople the Y for soldiers and sailors is still in active oper- 
ation. 

The Y in the Navy overseas was operating in 78 stations and 
cities, with 135 different centers. The personnel included 354 secre- 
taries and 107 women workers besides the staffs at Central Head- 
quarters in London, Paris, Rome, and at the Regional and District 
offices such as Bordeaux and Liverpool. A total of about 2500 local 



14 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

volunteer workers helped to maintain the high efficiency of the Navy 
Division. 

The duties in the Navy were such that no record could be kept 
of the hundreds of entertainers, lecturers, and speakers who were 
at various times serving the Navy branch of the overseas work. 
The Navy secretaries did not operate any canteens outside of the 
combined fields and thus could devote their entire time to the pro- 
motion of all-round programs of activities. Motion pictures played a 
large part in these programs. Besides continuous shipments to most 
of the centers a regular film service was maintained for the battleship 
squadron. Minstrel shows were promoted with great success in 
France. The comic opera "Somewhere in Scotland" produced at 
the base of Inverness and later staged in London was considered by 
Admiral Sims the best naval production he had ever witnessed. 

Athletics and recreation were among the conspicuous activities, 
and London afforded an excellent city for championship contests. 
Many notable games of baseball and football were witnessed in Hyde 
Park by a great many of the British people, including the King and 
Queen. Among other appreciated Hues of service to the Navy was the 
entertainment of the men through sight-seeing trips, social parties, 
and hospitality in homes in the port cities. This work in Great 
Britain was mainly promoted through the International Hospitality 
League, as recorded on page 23. 

The Navy Associations rendered an invaluable service during the 
War and the readjustment period to sailors of the British Navy 
as well as their fellow-countrymen. In letters from individuals and 
crews, officers" and men were unanimous in expressing their grati- 
tude. As expressed by Col. L. McCarty Little, Aide to Admiral 
William S. Sims, "Words and figures can never represent the work 
done by your organization. The only real return is the deep, deep 
gratitude which we feel but can never adequately express." 

VI— WITH THE MEN BEHIND THE ARMIES- 
WAR INDUSTRIES 

The modern fighting army is absolutely dependent upon the 
great civilian force which provides necessary supplies for carrying 
on war. An important section of this civilian force is represented by 
the workers in industries under Government control. These include 
enlisted men in industries, civilian employes in navy yards and 
arsenals, and workers in shipyards and munition plants under Gov- 
ernment control. Previous to the War the YMCA had carried on 
an extensive work in industrial plants over the whole country, and 



WITH THE MEN BEHIND THE ARMIES 15 

attention was early given to the many war needs of this group of men. 

Industrial Y work was organized in five navy yards, five arsenals, 
thirty-four shipyards, fourteen Government owned or controlled 
shell-loading chemical powder plants. In the Pacific Northwest spruce 
belt there were about 120,000 woodsmen and 30,000 soldiers gathered 
in about 300 camps. These were served through work established at 
six different points. One hundred and six special Industrial secre- 
taries were placed on the staffs of 60 state and local Associations for 
the purpose of promoting activities in hundreds of munition plants. 
These secretaries were assisted by a large force including both volun- 
teer and employed service. 

Thirty-four buildings were erected for Association purposes, 
costing $1,250,000; twenty-seven were erected at Government ex- 
pense, representing an investment of more than $1,000,000. The re- 
maining seven were erected by the National War Work Council at 
a cost of approximately $250,000. 

Over 300 Y secretaries were engaged in work in the war industries. 

Slightly over half of this number were financed entirely at Gov- 
ernment expense. The Y service yielded such beneficial results that 
at 48 dififerent points the special work has been made permanent. 

The National War Work Council expenditure for welfare work 
among American Industries during the War was practically $750,000. 

The conditions under which men lived and worked during the 
rush days created very definite wants which the Association program 
was designed to satisfy. Banking, postal, and hospital facilities were 
necessarily lacking, or limited, and places for church services and 
Sunday schools were few and far between. The activities of the Y 
were directed to fi.ll these needs. Men of many nationalities and re- 
ligious faiths participated. Jewish, Catholic, and Protestant services 
were held in the buildings at appointed times. A census taken at 
a Y religious meeting revealed that there were present representa- 
tives of eighteen different nationalities. The recreation features in 
the Government logging camps were so much appreciated by the 
workers that urgent requests were received to extend the service 
into the privately operated camps. 



VII— WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY AT 
EMBARKATION— AND AT SEA 

The American Army was gathered in the United States but its 
purpose was to apply its fighting energy on the continent of Europe. 
Thus to the problem of mobilization and concentration was added 
a most stupendous task in transportation. Over 2,000,000 men were 



16 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

brought to the Atlantic seaboard — thousands having been carried 
across the continent — and then taken on ocean transports to the fight- 
ing front more than 3000 miles away over a sea endangered by enemy 
submarines. To maintain the highest efficiency in body, mind, and 
spirit, under circumstances such as these, was a task no less difficult 
than necessary. 

When men left the training camps for the ports of embarkation 
their time of departure was kept strictly secret. They were con- 
fined to cars under close supervision, with only the smallest amount 
of liberty accorded at previously arranged points. Routing of the 
trains was secret. All this was accomplished at a time when the re- 
sources of the American railroads were strained to the limit and all 
trains were crowded. Owing to the fact that it was considered 
inadvisable to make any written reports, definite figures regarding 
the Y service on these trains are lacking. As distinct from the service 
on troop trains going to camps already mentioned, it is- conservatively 
estimated that the Y served a total of 1,500,000 men on 3000 troop 
trains from camps to ports, carrying an average of 500 men each. 

At the Railroad Transfers and Terminals 

On long hauls from (ioast to coast, or from the Southwest to 
Atlantic seaports, stop-overs were made at important transfer centers," 
such as Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver, Pittsburgh, St. Louis. At most 
points the permanent equipment of the YMCA was adequate to 
meet the needs. City Associations cooperated generously in helping 
the men. 

The great number of railroads centering at St. Louis created an 
emergency. It was met by the erection of two huts on the property 
of the Terminal Railroad Association and through their courtesy. 
During stop-over periods the soldiers were supplied with food and 
recreation, trips about the city, and such other small services as were 
possible. Through the doors of the two huts at St. Louis the number 
of soldiers who passed and repassed to receive service aggregated 
1,500,000. 

Before embarkation the men were quartered in the great concen- 
tration centers. The principal embarkation camps were Merritt, 
Mills, Devens, Lee, Jackson, Upton, Meade, and four at Newport 
News, Virginia. In each of these camps the permanent organiza- 
tion of the Y was ready with its standard equipment and program 
and a large organization of secretaries. 

The Y Huts at Embarkation Ports 

The two great embarkation ports were Hoboken and Newport 
News. At these points were established the two largest huts in 



WITH THE ARMY AT SEA 17 

the country. Hudson Hut in Hoboken, situated in Hudson Park 
through the courtesy of the city, the Stevens heirs, and the United 
States Government, was erected at a total cost of approximately 
$100,000. It served during a single month 276,100 men with an 
average of 4500 served daily in the two cafeterias, and an attendance 
of 52,000 service men at 183 social, educational, and religious gather- 
ings. At Newport News the hut, costing approximately $50,000, was 
situated on the beautiful Casino Grounds of the Old Dominion Land 
Company. During the six months of its establishment it served 
over 500,000 different men. At the ports of Boston, Charleston, and 
Philadelphia special facilities were established for the serving of sol- 
diers en route for Europe. 

These huts at the embarkation points were designed also to meet 
the needs of the men of the Navy, who frequented them both in 
large numbers. Troops in transport to and from Siberia were served 
by secretaries on the long train journey, at San Francisco, and on 
the Pacific Ocean. 

At Sea on the Army Transports 

The ocean transportation plans of the Government were designed 
to meet the sternest of necessities. The urgent demand for men 
overseas meant that the ships were crowded, a condition always 
productive of more than ordinary discomfort and seasickness; fast 
ships were necessarily slowed up in order that the convoy might be 
kept together ; each man was confined to a certain part of the ship — 
and underneath all was the constant danger of submarines. The 
ocean voyage was a hazardous adventure. Here the Y secretary 
with moving pictures, boxing entertainment, victrolas, writing paper, 
lemons and sour pickles for seasickness, a handshake and a 
smile, found it possible to assist the Government in helping these 
soldier "crusaders for democracy" to forget the great danger through 
which they were passing. 

On 1102 different sailings 1512 YMCA secretaries served 
an aggregate of 3,173,200 men with an equipment which cost $1,057,- 
157.97. 

The Association was compelled to meet this first emergency with 
its plans and facilities still in the early stages of development. 

Among the items distributed without charge to service men on 
shipboard were 20,085,442 cigarets, 1,009,097 bars of chocolate, and 
25,333,880 pieces of stationery. 

The Y was the only welfare organization which served men by 
assigning secretaries to ocean transports prior to the Armistice. 



18 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

With the Crews of Ocean Transports 

Two groups of men who rendered a very important service were 
the crews of transport and supply ships and the men of the Army 
Supply depots. Here were men who enlisted under the glamor 
of war, expecting to see definite action; they drew assignments to 
transport or supply ships or supply stations of the Army where the 
routine was so hard they oftentimes wondered whether it was all 
worth while. The Y was able to serve these men and help them to 
realize that they were having a real part in winning the War. At 
Port Newark, the largest Army supply base in the country, a hut 
was erected for service to the thousands of men stationed at this 
place. 

Aboard 1090 supply ships, equipment consisting of athletic ma- 
terial, writing material, libraries, motion pictures, and comforts for 
free distribution was placed by the Y, On some of these ships the 
recreational material was provided jointly by the YMCA paying 
74.9 per cent, the National Catholic War Council 22.4 per cent, and 
the Jewish Welfare Board 2.7 per cent. 

VIII— WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN THE 
UNITED KINGDOM 

It has been figuratively expressed that America, with her Allies, 
constructed a bridge of ships across the Atlantic over which the 
American Army poured into the battlefields of France. Out of the 
2,086,000 American soldiers sent to Europe, over 1,025,000, accord- 
ing to government reports, passed through the United Kingdom. 
Over 50 per cent of the American soldiers whom the United States 
transported over 3000 miles of sea were carried in British ships. 

This necessitated setting up in the various cities of the British 
Isles an American Y organization primarily to serve this immense 
army in transit and also to care for the 20,000 men of the American 
Air Service stationed in Great Britain, and for 40,000 men in the 
large cities and on the lines of communication. Work was also car- 
ried on for 50,000 men of the United States Navy stationed in ports 
of the British Isles, from Queenstown and Falmouth to the North 
Scottish ports and the Orkney Islands, as well as in the outlying 
naval bases at the Azores, Gibraltar, along the Adriatic Sea, and 
elsewhere in the Mediterranean. 

Preparing for American Army in Great Britain 

The British YMCA not only handled from the start the im- 
mense welfare work of its own armies in France and at home, but 



WITH THE ARMY IN THE UNITED KINGDOM 19 

provided a devoted complement of Y workers on service wherever 
the British Army was carrying on its campaigns ; in Egypt and 
Gallipoli, in Palestine and Mesopotamia, in Africa and along the 
Indian frontier; from Tsingtao to Archangel and from Salonika 
to Vladivostok — the British Y raised its huts and directed its mani- 
fold initiative, a service which, early in the War, placed the contribu- 
tion of militarized civilians to troops in the field on a basis un- 
precedented in history. Many Americans volunteered with British 
and Indian Y contingents, both in France and in the Eastern cam- 
paigns, and were in active service long before America entered the 
War. 

On the British National Council, as before noted, was an Ameri- 
can — Mr. Edward Clark Carter — who, because of his two years' ex- 
perience in organizing the Indian work in France and the countries 
east of Suez had been called to London in the Autumn of 1916. It 
was he, who, upon America's Declaration of War, first laid the founda- 
tion in England and later became the chief administrator of the 
American Y M C A in France. Mr. Carter communicated at once with 
the American Ambassador, the late Walter Hines Page, offering the 
services of the Association on behalf of the American Expeditionary 
Forces. 

These American youths — away from their country for the first 
time, going on to foreign battlefields in a country whose language 
they did not even know, tens of thousands going to their deaths — 
needed an American greeting when they landed on the foreign shore. 
The first practical effort in Engjand was made in July, 1917, when 
word was received of the expected landing of several thousand en- 
gineers to be encamped for a few days at Bordon in Hampshire, 
while en route to France. Immediately, tents, supplies, and several 
secretaries were sent there. Everything was in readiness for the 
reception of the Americans. Service in this camp was continued 
until the early Autumn when it was removed to Winchester for 
permanent location. Further activities began soon after the open- 
ing of Bordon with the arrival of the sawmill units, complete in 
detail and equipment, sent by several New England lumber com- 
panies. Camp was opened for them near the scene of operations 
along the Dornock river in northern Scotland. 

Arrival of First American Troops 

The Am.ericans began to arrive in Great Britain in throngs — every 
transport crowded with the youth of the nation, who had safely 
passed through the first great adventure over submarine infested 
seas — bound for France. The need of an extended hand from home — a 
hearty greeting, a hail and a farewell ! — was beyond all human calcu- 



20 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

lation. From the first ship to the end of operations, the Y organiza- 
tion in England labored energetically to meet the emergency. Clubs, 
hotels, and recreation huts for officers and enlisted men, were con- 
ducted in the large cities of the United Kingdom ; sightseeing tours 
were conducted through the country to all historical points. A staff 
of 200 served the 78 Aviation Camps where American fliers and 
aviation mechanics were in training. 

The International Hospitality League in cooperation with the 
American YMCA, working in close harmony with the British, 
Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand Associations, rendered a 
work of the utmost importance to the well-being of the American 
soldiers and sailors thronging the streets of London, Liverpool, 
Glasgow, Belfast, Dublin, Queenstown, Southampton, Folkestone, 
and other cities. 

The great bulk of American soldiers who passed through Eng- 
land in 1917, as well as during the great transit of 1918, were merely 
carried across England en route to France via the Channel ports, 
and rarely remained within the country more than 48 hours. Under 
these circumstances the Y service succeeded in reaching 504,665 
men ; it was chiefly concerned with the permanent and training forces, 
such as the aviation,' forestry, and line of communication troops, 
with men on leave, and troops who stopped longer than the usual 
48 hours en route. 

Organization of American Y Work, in England 

It was early seen that some base of operations was essential. With 
the growing work, temporary headquarters were established in Bed- 
ford Square, London, in a building occupied by the British Associa- 
tion. Early in the Summer of 1917, Mr. Carter negotiated the pur- 
chase of a large hut in course of construction by the British Y in 
the Strand at the foot of Kingsway. This became famous through- 
out Great Britain as the "Eagle Hut." Headquarters were opened 
in October, 1917,. at 47 Russell Square, London, W. C. 1. Mr. R. L. 
Ewing was intrusted with the general supervision of the work in 
Great Britain, succeeding Mr. L. W. Dunn, who had directed for 
two months. 

The American Y in England was divided in groups to meet every 
condition in the American Army — Ports of Embarkation, Rest Camps, 
Hospitals, Aviation Camps, Cities and Towns, Leave Centers and 
Lumber Camps, according to the classifications in which the fighting 
forces were placed. Duties of each secretarial group depended upon 
the need. At the port of debarkation, Y men boarded ships prior 
to sailing, exchanging money and receiving messages for cabling, at- 



WITH THE ARMY IN THE UNITED KINGDOM 21 

tending to luggage, distributing post cards and stationery, and other- 
wise serving as required. Canteen service was provided on the Liver- 
pool docks, later turned over by agreement to the American Red 
Cross. A publication called the "Home News," presenting a resume 
of the day's telegraphic advices received by Navy Headquarters, was 
distributed in troop trains and camps. In the rest camps, especially 
those at Knotty Ash, near Liverpool, at Southampton, Romsey, and 
Flowerdown, the work was at first hampered by the small personnel, 
but in time the same service was extended to these camps a^ to the 
great American Camp at Winchester. 

The initial efforts to cover the Aviation Camps were made by 
traveling secretaries on circuit until the camps became large enough 
to warrant permanent secretaries. One man was stationed at each 
camp of 200 or more men. Combined with the social features of the 
hut, entertainment, library service, and athletics were prominent. 
Inasmuch as many of the camps were in reality British, the Americans 
comprising a portion of the camp only, the Y was able to arrange for 
service quickly in most instances through courtesy of the British 
Association. 

Approximately 6300 American secretaries, or more than half of all 
sent overseas, landed in ports of the United Kingdom. Most of these 
were sent forward to France or other countries. The maximum of 
arrivals in any one month was 1177, during December, 1918. It is es- 
timated by the Bureau of Records that 950 were assigned to posts of 
service in the United Kingdom. On October 9, 1918, 704 were re- 
ported at work, but this number was found to include some British 
civilian workers. The maximum in any month was 635. 

All details involved in housing and handling papers for secretaries 
passing through England en route and for circulation of workers in 
the United Kingdom were cared for by a staff of nine workers, includ- 
ing stenographers and file clerk. The average detention to secure 
papers and transportation was four days. 

The city and town service was divided in two parts : one con- 
sisted of huts and centers conducted in the usual way; the other 
comprised activities arranged to include young women, all care- 
fully chosen, so as to provide a wholesome social atmosphere. There 
were three types of huts : those specially constructed ; residences, 
shops, or restaurants taken over and renovated for Y canteen use; 
and hotels similarly taken over. Only three larger huts were con- 
structed in the cities ; the far-famed Eagle Hut in London, repre- 
senting a cost of $110,000, the Washington Inn for officers in London, 
and St. Andrew's Hut in Edinburgh. 

In all 155 "huts" were operated in the United Kingdom ; 43 of these 
were especially constructed wooden buildings ; 37 were tents ; 33 rented 



22 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

quarters; and 37 buildings furnished free by the British Government 
or British YMCA. 



Eagle Hut a Great American Soldiers' Club 

Eagle Hut became a landmark; it was not only "America in 
London," but was one of the most cosmopolitan gathering places 
in Europe — a great clubhouse for soldiers. More than 3000 men 
were served there daily. In one month alone (February, 1919) 134,- 
566 meals were served; 3193 sodas; 44,540 ices; 19,335 cakes; 6985 
kits packed; 1564 valuables cared for; 1871 baths provided; 11,438 
men entertained all night; entertainments attracting 17,250 in at- 
tendance; 84 "sing-songs" attended by 1680; there were 2886 who 
played at billiards; 11 lectures attended by 2775; 12 religious meetings 
were attended by 6700; literature to the number of 11,710 pieces dis- 
tributed ; 13,394 served at information bureau ; 675 articles of clothing 
mended. This gives an idea of the continuous activities at the most 
noted soldiers' rendezvous in the United Kingdom. St. Andrew's 
Hut in Edinburgh was opened March 15, 1919, after a large work 
had been performed in extensive rented quarters. 

Washington Inn the American Officers' Club 

Washington Inn, in St. James Square, London, was a well ap- 
pointed officers' club ; it consisted of a series of eight huts radiating 
from a central court like the spokes of a wheel. One was a general 
room, with lounge and club accommodations, another a library and 
reading room, where lectures, entertainments, and dances were held, 
and a third the dining room, while the others were divided into bed- 
rooms. Other officers' clubs in dwellings remodeled to suit re- 
quirements were located at Edinburgh, Plymouth, Knotty Ash Camp, 
Liverpool, London, and Cardiff. Many private hotels also were 
taken over for soldiers, and provided a comfortable, home-like en- 
vironment. 

A plan of leave centers, similar to the one in France, was. about 
to be organized when the Armistice removed the necessity. One was 
under way at Leamington, near Stratford-on-Avon, but never opened, 
due to the rapid evacuation of the American Forces from England 
and the decreasing numbers crossing from France following the 
Armistice. A large amount of leave work, though not technically 
classified as such according to the great project in France, was done 
independently of the Leamington project by the arrangement of 
sightseeing tours, theater parties, entertainment of soldiers by pri- 
vate families in London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, at country houses, 



WITH THE ARMY IN THE UNITED KINGDOM 2a 

and other places. This was accomplished largely through coopera- 
tion with the International Hospitality League. 

Lriimber Camp Service in Scotland 

The Lumber Camp service was rendered mostly in northern Scot- 
land where wood choppers were busy razing the timber of the great 
Scotch forests. The Y erected a chain of small huts to supply these 
men with reading and writing materials, libraries, and amusements. 
A larger hut was built at one end of these camps for lectures, can- 
teen, and club facilities. A secretary and his wife were stationed in 
charge of each camp the greater part of the time. At these centers 
an athletic field was laid out for baseball and basketball. Various 
social entertainments and religious services were given, until the close 
of these camps late in the Summer of 1918. The head secretary made 
periodical rounds of all activities under his supervision. 

London Street Patrol" of Hospitality League 

The problems and even the dangers of huge armies of young men 
in a foreign land can hardly be overestimated ; only those who went 
through the War understand the avarice of certain elements of a 
people among whom foreign troops are quartered, and the con- 
spiracies, plots, schemes that are deeply laid by criminal classes 
in every country to rob the soldier of his money and his honor. 
So great did this danger become that the British, Canadians, Aus- 
tralians, New Zealanders, and Americans found it necessary to join 
forces to protect their soldiers — this organization became known as 
the International Hospitality League. Its purpose was actually to 
send out into the streets wise and friendly young women in pairs to 
meet the soldiers and sailors, and to rid the public thoroughfares of 
vicious characters and designing women who were preying on soldiers 
in a strange land. 

Enlisted in this service were many noble women of the British 
and allied nations who saw a great opportunity to save the youth of a 
friendly and allied people. Only those who witnessed their cour- 
ageous efforts can fully appreciate the self-sacrifice and strong char- 
acter displayed. These "sisters of the soldiers" cleared the streets 
of many of its evils; they conducted American boys to good hotels, 
succeeded in putting them in touch with good English families who 
invited them into their homes for brief visits, escorted them to public 
teas, and arranged sightseeing tours for them into the country. Prob- 
ably no other feature of the Y activities proved of greater value than 
the work of these splendid women who patrolled the streets — it never 
can be estimated in dollars and cents. Men patrols were also 



24 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

placed on the streets, helping to deal an effective blow at the social 
evils so prevalent in war time. 

Women's Personnel Bureau 

Over 5000 women and men served the Association in the United 
Kingdom. The volunteer workers at Eagle Hut alone numbered over 
1000 which included members of the Rotary Club, (one of the most 
ardent supporters) and the girl members of the Green Cross who 
were all recruited from the ranks of women employed during the day. 
At Southampton over 200 women worked day after day and month 
after month in canteens and at the social center; this is true of 
Liverpool, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Winchester, Lincoln, Bristol, Wey- 
mouth, and wherever the American YMCA established huts. 

At Romsey a force of 60 volunteer helpers was maintained during 
occupation; at Officers' Inn, Cavendish Square, 130 volunteer work- 
ers; at Washington Inn, St. James Square, 213; at both officers' inns 
many of the volunteers were titled ladies. 

Cooperative Work in Great Britain 

While figures do not adequately express the real value of service 
performed by American, British, Canadian, Australian and New Zea- 
land Y M C A's cooperating in the International Hospitality League, 
it is perhaps indicative to note : 

The YMCA served in all capacities in Great Britain 1,998,687 
guests; the number given hospitality in English homes totaled 25,- 
248 soldiers; 297,757 were greeted, advised, or entertained by street 
patrols; 40,963 taken to lodgings by car; 63,566 met at railway sta- 
tions; 202,273 entertained in social rooms; and 267,937 served at 
free teas. 



IX--WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN FRANCE 

It is with the American Expeditionary Forces in France — 2,000,- 
000 strong — that the principal welfare work of the American YMCA 
centers. . In France the great decisive battles of the World War 
were fought. There 12,955 selected American men and women 
served under the Red Triangle, and more than $50,000,000 were ex- 
pended in its social welfare work alone, independent of the canteen. It 
was here that the serious problems of modern times were met; that 
American spirit, courage, energy, and indomitable will, the strength 
and character of American manhood, were tested to the utmost and 
withstood the test. Only the future can fully value the results. 



WITH THE ARMY IN FRANCE 25 

General Pershing arrived in France on June 13, 1917; the 1st 
Division was landed in French ports from June 27 to July 2. Thus, 
but ten weeks had elapsed after America's declaration of war before 
there arrived in France the first installment of America's positive 
military effort in the War. 



The Y in France — Waiting for the Army 

Before the arrival of General Pershing, American Y M C A 
headquarters had been established in Paris. The development of 
an organization with which to serve the American Expeditionary 
Forces was well under way. Y M C A secretaries had been serving 
in France for many months, both in work for the prisoners of war 
and with the French Army. Seven days after President Wilson's 
declaration of war, on April 13, 1917, a group of these secretaries 
had convened under the leadership of Mr. D. A. Davis, and organized 
in Paris a committee of American business men to establish a club- 
house for American volunteers attached to the various ambulance 
corps and similar organizations of the Allied Armies. Mr. Davis 
had been sent to France in 1915 to cooperate in the development of 
the Foyer du Soldat (described on pages 54-59) as a direct result 
of Dr. Mott's investigation in 1914. A cable from America to Lon- 
don directed Mr. E. C. Carter to go to France immediately. Simul- 
taneously with these activities Mr. F. B. Shipp, General Secretary of 
the Pittsburgh Y M C A, had been sent on a mission to Paris as 
special representative of the National War Work Council. 

Organization of American Work in France 

With these three experienced American administrators in France 
plans were laid to provide for the emergency to arise upon the 
arrival of the American armies. The earlier effort, which had been 
limited to a local service for American volunteers, was merged into 
the larger enterprise of serving the entire American Expeditionary 
Forces. This reorganization finally resulted in a definite administra- 
tive system. The French Government, reinforced by General Persh- 
ing, urgently requested the expansion of the Foyer du Soldat; Mr. 
Davis resumed exclusive responsibility for the work with the French 
troops ; Mr. Carter assumed general charge, with the title of Chief 
Secretary, of all the work for the American Expeditionary Forces in 
France and Great Britain. Mr. Shipp having fulfilled his mission 
on behalf of the War Work Council remained in Paris as Associate 
Chief Secretary until he was compelled to return to the United States. 
He was then succeeded by Mr. H. F. Sheets, an American business 



26 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

man of extensive experience in large business affairs on the Conti- 
nent. 

From the work thus modestly begun with a few secretaries before 
General Pershing arrived in France, developed the extensive propor- 
tions of the Y organization which served the A E F throughout 
the War. 

The value of this service, cited by competent authorities at more 
than 90 per cent of all the social welfare work done in France may 
be estimated from the official commendations of Government, Army, 
and Navy authorities in the addenda of this handbook. 

The Y Commission from General Pershing 

On August 28, 1917, the Y received its commission under General 
Orders no. 26-II-1, "to provide for the amusement and recreation of 
the troops by means of its usual program of social, physical, educa- 
tional and religious activities." On September 6, 1917, it was granted 
authority under General Orders No. 33, "to establish exchanges for 
the American troops in France" . . . "operated along the lines 
of post exchanges whose places they were intended to fill." 

The responsibilities were assumed by the Y M C A as a patriotic 
duty to serve our country in every way within its power, regardless 
of the obstacles and difficulties to be overcome. This responsibility 
was not forced upon the Y by the Army ; the Y saw the tremendous 
problems which the Army must meet ; it knew that the Army needed 
every soldier in the ranks; it realized that the canteen was one of its 
great problems — and it willingly agreed to take up this burden 
regardless of the consequences. The Y thus became charged with 
a definite responsibility to extend not only its four-fold program of 
welfare activities but its canteen service throughout the Army, in- 
cluding the front line positions. During the War over 12,000 militar- 
ized men and women were employed in this service, the number en- 
gaged at the time of the Armistice, November 11, 1918, having been 
4510, of whom 1138 were women, and the number in service on April 
1, 1919, having been 6357. Even a larger number of civilians were 
employed at various times and considerable service was rendered, 
under the supervision of Y secretaries, by details of enlisted men. 
There were erected 491 wooden huts and 1045 tents at a total cost of 
$5,586,833.20 ; furniture and equipment of all kinds costing upward of 
$6,000,000 was furnished to these units ; 255 structures were rented at 
a yearly rental of approximately $750,000; and thousands of army 
billets were requisitioned under military authority in the devastated 
region in France and the occupied section of Germany. 

In and about these structures, and with this personnel, it became 
the duty of the YMCA in the canteen operation alone to transact, 



WITH THE ARMY IN FRANCE 27 

a business for the Army aggregating upward of $50,000,000. It created 
one of the largest chains of retail grocery stores the world has seen. 

To supply these stores it not only conducted extensive purchasing 
operations from its New York, Paris, and London headquarters, 
with ramifications extending into every allied and neutral country, 
and with all the machinery of an exporting and importing business 
including enormous warehouses and an intricate shipping and ac- 
counting system, but also operated 48 factories for the manufacture 
of chocolate, biscuits, and canteen supplies. It conducted a chain 
of banking operations for the men almost coextensive with its post 
exchange system; set up the machinery necessary for handling and 
accounting for millions of dollars in cash ; managed a series of up- 
ward of 100 hotels, dormitories, and cafes ; organized and equipped a 
system of some 50 garages and machine shops for necessary repairs; 
and developed under enormous difficulties an extensive motor trans- 
port service for handling both merchandise and passengers. 

The Prqgram of Welfare Activities 

Simultaneously the Y instituted for the A E F its free program of 
welfare activities. It supplemented the work of the chaplains by 
contributing the use of its huts as meeting places for religious serv- 
ices, by furnishing musical instruments, song leaders, and soloists, 
and by providing additional speakers, including many of the foremost 
religious leaders of our time. For entertaining the soldiers, it re- 
cruited a personnel of 1470 professional and semi-professional enter- 
tainers, conducted one of the biggest theatrical booking agencies in 
the world, one of the largest chains of cinema establishments, and 
operated incomparably the greatest number of casinos and pleasure 
resorts ever conducted under one management. Through the activi- 
ties of its women personnel the Y also gave in hundreds of towns and 
villages in France an almost continuous series of social entertain- 
ments. It cooperated with the Army in initiating a comprehensive 
educational system, ranging from classes in English for illiterates to 
a completely organized university, recruited a personnel of 631 edu- 
cators, and as of April 15, 1919, turned over to the Army the entire 
system as a well-organized, going concern. In the matter of athletics, 
the Y provided nearly $2,000,000 worth of baseballs, bats, boxing 
gloves, footballs, and other athletic equipment. It arranged for and 
equipped numerous athletic fields and gymnasia, promoted voluntary 
plays, games, and mass drills, in which there were more than 37,- 
000,000 soldier participants, and originated, planned and supervised 
the A E F Championship Games and the Inter-Allied Games. In this 
series of military tournaments, the greatest ever staged, represen- 
tatives of 18 nations participated to the number of 1500 entrants. 



28 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

The plans for both of these series of games originated with the 
Athletic Director of the Y. The Pershing Stadium was the gift of 
the Y to the American Army, by which it was in turn presented to 
the French people. The site was donated by the French Govern- 
ment; and the labor was contributed for the most part by the Army 
engineers. The actual operation of the Allied Games was under the 
control of a Board consisting of Army officers and representatives 
of the Y acting jointly. The Athletic Director of the Y was the Direc- 
tor General of the Games. 

The Soldier's Leaves and the Service of the YMCA 

The operation of the Leave Areas for the American Army was one 
of the most important services in the entire War. The YMCA under- 
took this complicated duty. 

How it was organized by Mr. Karl Gate and developed under Dr. 
F. S. Edmonds, and the demands made upon this field of operations 
are recorded in Part II (pages 169-177). It is sufficient here to state 
that Army orders allow the soldier a week's leave, every four .months, 
exclusive of the time spent in traveling, upon the ground that this 
period of change and relaxation is essential to health and morale. 
The French forces could, of course, enjoy their periods of leave at 
their own homes. The British and men from the dominions, when 
the congestion in the Channel permitted, were allowed leave in Eng- 
land, the latter troops thus receiving an opportunity to visit their 
mother country. To the officers and men of the A E F no such 
privilege was possible, and the problem of providing an acceptable 
method of granting leaves early engaged the attention of American 
General Headquarters. 

The Y proposed to the Commander-in-Chief that the great casinos 
and other facilities of the world-famed pleasure resorts such as Aix- 
les-Bains, Chamonix and Chambery in the Savoy Alps, Nice, Cannes, 
and Menton in the Riviera, St. Malo in Brittany, Biarritz and 
Cauterets in the Pyrenees, be taken over as leave areas for the 
American Forces. The Y was charged with full responsibility for 
carrying this proposal into effect. Aix-les-Bains was first opened as 
a leave area February 16, 1918, the celebrated Grand Cercle having 
been converted into a gigantic club house for the American dough- 
boy. A continuous round of recreational activities was maintained. 
Nightly performances were given at the Casino Theater, ranging 
from vaudeville to grand opera. Moving picture shows were nearly a 
continuous operation. Daily dances were given in the ball room. 
Amateur theatricals, stunt nights, masque balls, and other social 
entertainments were of regular occurrence. The athletic program 
included baseball, volley ball, soccer, tennis, and bicycle rides. Sight- 



WITH THE ARMY IN FRANCE 29 

seeing trips, hikes in the mountains, and boat excursions on Lake 
Bourget were organized. Luxurious hotels and thermal baths were 
thrown open. Indeed, nothing was overlooked for the comfort and 
enjoyment of the American soldier. 

The YMCA assisted in negotiations with the hotel proprietors 
to entertain American soldiers on favorable terms, leased casinos, 
theaters and athletic fields, and conducted its entire four-fold pro- 
gram of welfare activities without charge. Such arrangements were 
perfected in 39 towns scattered over the whole of France, having a 
total hotel capacity of 43,142 beds. 

Leaves of seven days were granted — with special week-end "one 
day leaves" at places like Nancy, and later at Coblenz and Andernach. 
More than 500,000 seven-day leaves were granted. 

In the total seven-day and one-day leaves, the Y entertained over 
1,944,300 American officers and men, virtually four-fifths of the entire 
A E F, at an approximate cost of $1,143,800. A total personnel of 885, 
including 408 men and 477 women, were engaged in this form of 
service. It was on the initiative and suggestion of the Y that the 
original provision for soldiers' leaves. General Order No. 6, was 
revised by a supplemental order. General Order No. 38, by which 
the Army recognized its obligation to pay the board and lodging 
of soldiers sent on leave on a duty status. It is estimated that by 
convincing General Headquarters of the propriety of this step the 
Y saved soldiers on leave a total of approximately 60,000,000 francs. 

Recreation Centers for the Soldiers in France 

An outstanding feature of the Leave Areas was the chain of recre- 
ation centers where soldiers and sailors stationed in base ports and 
training camps during summer months could have homelike places 
to spend the week-end. Two were small Atlantic seaside resorts, 
Trez-Hir and Ste. Marguerite, while the others were in the interior. 
Chief among these were Valencay and Nancy, the former noted for its 
great beauty and historic associations and the latter because of its 
famous baths, probably the most popular feature in the entire A E F. 
The Nancy Thermal, just completed in 1914 at the outbreak of the 
war, was practically new as it had stood idle for lack of patronage in 
all that time. It was equipped with all the latest devices for modern 
bath houses in the way of showers and a gigantic pool with a ca- 
pacity for nearly 1000 swimmers supplied with naturally heated waters 
from warm mineral springs running at a rate of 2,800 liters a minute. 
The Army assisted in making the Nancy Thermal famous by estab- 
lishing a Quartermaster's department in the building where every 
soldier visiting the baths was provided a complete new outfit of 
clothing — underwear, shirt, uniform, and leggings — so that he went 



30 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

in in one set of clothes and came out fresh and clean in another. 
As Nancy was a big military point right in the heart of a strenuously 
contended salient this proved a godsend to the men defending it. 

Five Phases of American Military Operations 

The story of the A E F-Y MCA falls into five stages correspond- 
ing to the development of the military situation. 

The first of these stages was the period of approximately one 
year from the entrance of America into the War April 7, 1917, 
to the beginning of the German Offensive, March 21, 1918, during 
which only about 300,000 men had been brought to France. During 
the earlier part of this period it was expected that the number of troops 
overseas would be very gradually developed and that the American 
Army would not reach its maximum strength until the Spring of 
1919. 

The second phase covered the emergency from the beginning 
of the great German Offensive of March 21, 1918, in Picardy, until 
that offensive had been definitely halted and thrown back by the 
Allied Armies at the beginning of August. 

Then came the third phase, the general Allied Offensive in which 
for the first time the American Army participated under the direct 
control of General Pershing, continuing until the Armistice, Novem- 
ber 11, 1918. 

The fourth phase is marked by the story of the occupation of 
Germany by the Third Army. 

The fifth is characterized by the withdrawal of the American 
Forces from France, the interest centering chiefly in the great for- 
warding camps in the vicinity of Le Mans, the embarkation camps 
at the base ports, and the repatriation of the armed forces. 

As a pendant to the story of the War, special interest attaches 
to the permanent American Forces which still continue to fly the 
American colors at the occupied bridgehead in Germany. 

The Organization of the Services of Supply 

On the entrance of America into the War it was proposed by 
the Government that American Forces should be completely organ- 
ized, trained, and equipped in their home camps and should be 
dispatched overseas fully fitted out, only when their training should 
have "been thoroughly matured. It was then expected that the 
full weight of the American Forces could not be thrown into a 
general offensive earlier than the Spring of 1919. The plans devel- 
oped by the General Staff for the organization of the Services of 
Supply in France, including the improvement of the facilities at 



WITH THE ARMY IN FRANCE 31 

the base ports, the development of the lines of communication and 
the construction of military depots, supply bases, and technical plants, 
were also laid out according to this schedule, and it is a significant 
fact that a number of the principal projects of the original plans did 
not, in fact, commence to function until about the time of the Armis- 
tice. 

The critical situation at the front, and the missions of Joffre and 
Balfour, precipitated operations which required immediate move- 
ment of troops across the seas. The primary task, therefore, that con- 
fronted Mr. Carter and his associates at Paris in the Summer and Fall of 
1917 was the organization of the Y M C A service for the Services of Sup- 
ply in France and laying the foundations for the combat work which 
was to follow. By the close of this period, March 21, 1918, the Y had 
almost overtaken its task in the Services of Supply through the nearly 
complete organization of its program of activities in 65 stations in and 
about the great base ports at Havre, Brest, St. Nazaire, and Bordeaux; 
at 82 stations along the lines of communication, at such centers as the 
Headquarters of the Services of Supply at Tours, the supply depot at 
Gievres, the casual camps at Blois and St. Aignan, etc., at 23 stations 
at the artillery camps, such as Valdahon, Mailly, Coetquidan, etc. ;• at 
10 stations in the newly organized aviation centers at Issoudun and 
elsewhere ; and also, by arrangement with the Red Cross, at 10 ambu- 
lance headquarters and military hospitals. There were in addition 
14 stations serving detached units of engineers and foresters, 151 
in the six training areas then open, and 48 in two combat areas, mak- 
ing a total of 414 stations served by a personnel of 1094 men and 329 
women. 

The Y work in each locality was organized in charge of an ad- 
ministrative officer, known as the Divisional Secretary, with whom 
was closely associated the Divisional Business Secretary, these with 
a staff of experts for each of the principal branches of activity, located 
at a headquarters office with attendant warehouse and garage facili- 
ties, at the principal centers of military population. Thence it branched 
out into the adjacent camps. Each of these divisional executives 
during this period reported directly to, and was served directly by 
Paris Headquarters, as regards his requirements of personnel, equip- 
ment, and supplies. 

Organization of Training Areas 

During this period only five divisions of combat troops had ar- 
rived in France; namely, the 1st, 2d, 26th, 42d, and 32d, together 
with the 41st replacement division. As these troops arrived the 
divisions were split up, the artillery, aviation, and other technical 
units being assigned to camps in the Services of Supply to complete 



32 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

their technical training, while the infantry were dispatched to the 
billeting area in the region northeast of the American Headquarters 
at Chaumont. The YMCA throughout this period anticipated in 
many instances the arrival of the troops, entering the billeting area in 
advance and organizing its service in preparation for their coming. 
In this region reliance was had for the most part upon existing French 
structures, such as cafes, hotels, townhalls, or even stores, ware- 
houses, or office buildings, though in some instances Adrian Barracks 
and other temporary Army buildings were made available or erected. 
In a few cases chateaux and other private mansions, abandoned tem- 
porarily by the occupants, were taken over by the Y as clubhouses for 
the doughboys. 

It was supposed at the beginning that a permanent YMCA ser- 
vice could be developed in each of the training areas comparable to 
that established at the ports and other centers in the Services of Sup- 
ply, in the belief that one division going out at the close of its period of 
training would be immediately succeeded by another, but experience 
soon demonstrated that such stability could not be expected. As early 
as November, 1917, the 1st Division entered a new sector of the line 
east of Nancy, and from that time on the divisions in process of 
training were shifted at frequent intervals and it became apparent 
that a Y M C A organization must be built up for each combat 
division and accompany it in all of its movements. This policy 
involved the necessity of opening an average of twenty-five or thirty Y 
stations, stocking them with canteen supplies and with the equipment 
of benches, tables, stationery, library books, and other facilities re- 
quired for the welfare program, wherever possible in advance of the 
arrival of the division in new billets, and of closing an equal number 
of stations evacuated, with the attendant problems of transporting 
movable goods and providing for the custody of vacated structures. 
A typical outline map of a billeting area occupied by an Army Divi- 
sion would show a collection of perhaps 50 towns and villages within 
an average radius of ten or twelve miles from divisional Headquar- 
ters, occupied by. Army units varying in size from a company (250 
men) to a battalion (1000 men). In such a billeting area the Y 
would normally establish an average of twenty-five or thirty can- 
teens, one for every unit of 500 men or more. The smaller units 
would be served by rolling canteens or by the delivery of supplies 
to be distributed by some member of the detachment, often a chap- 
lain or other officer, or an enlisted man who might either volunteer 
or be detailed for this service. 

To meet this situation a liaison secretary was attached to the staff 
of the Commanding General of the advanced section of the Services 
of Supply, with a corps of assistants whose duty it was to organize 



WITH THE ARMY IN FRANCE 33 

new areas in anticipation of the arrival of troops and to close up the 
areas vacated. Several hundreds of stations were thus opened and 
closed in the training areas during the Fall and Winter of 1917-1918, 
and many thousands during the stay of the A E F overseas. 

Critical Situation at the Great German Offensive 

On the eve of the German Offensive of March 21, 1918, in Picardy, 
the Y organization was face to face with unprecedented problems. 
It was "scorching the wires with appeals for personnel/' The on- 
rush of troops demanded thousands of workers and every medium was 
being utilized to impress this need upon the minds of Americans 
back home. The initial difficulties of the housing problem had been 
measurably solved, adequate organizations were being built up 
throughout the Services of Supply, but the contingents attached to 
the combat divisions were not sufficiently large and well-trained 
to meet acceptably the demands. 

The German Offensive struck at this time a blow which staggered 
the Allied Armies and for the moment threatened irremediable dis- 
aster. The line was broken on a gap of sixteen miles and only the 
extraordinary skill, determination, and resourcefulness of the French 
General Staff succeeded, by throwing not less than twenty French 
divisions into the gap, in arresting the German onslaught. Within 
a few days the entire battlefield of the Somme had been overrun by 
the Germans and 800 square miles of territory had been recaptured. 

A session of the Supreme War Council was hastily summoned and 
an entire revision of the original plans of the American General Staff 
was urged. General Foch was made Commander-in-Chief of the 
Allied Armies and upon his initiative General Pershing recommended 
to the Secretary of War that the entire American Army be trans- 
ported to France as speedily as possible without further training and 
without equipment other than rifles and absolute essentials. All 
available tonnage was immediately diverted to the transport of in- 
fantry and such vital auxiliaries as machine gunners. As a result 
great numbers of troops commenced to arrive in France, reaching by 
August the rate of over 250,000 a month, enormously increasing the 
demand upon the Y M C A organization for canteen supplies as well 
as for welfare service. At the same time the tonnage available to 
the Y for the importation of personnel, commodities, motor transport 
equipment, and other supplies had been rigidly curtailed. This situ- 
ation produced a crisis in the administration of the Y, the effects of 
which were immediately felt both by the Y personnel and the rank and 
file of the Army, whereas the reasons were then unknown, being neces- 
sarily concealed behind the mask of military secrecy. The well- 
organized Y divisional staffs that had been developed throughout 



34 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

the Services of Supply were rapidly depleted, the strongest elements 
being drafted to Paris and reassigned to build organizations to serve 
the incoming combat divisions. Even the staffs previously developed 
for the combat divisions which were now being sent into the fighting 
line with the French and British Armies were greatly reduced in 
number by the drafting of experienced men to head up the newly 
formed organization. 

There was much discussion at this time of methods for deciding 
what workers should be transferred from the rear, to the front. Many 
made personal application for such transfers, and followed them up 
by attempting to avail themselves of influence to promote their de- 
sires. Others faithfully did their duty where placed, hoping that good 
work would be rewarded by transfer to the front. Because of the uni- 
versal desire for front line service, a rule was proposed that no one 
should be assigned to the front until he had served four months in 
the rear, and that as workers became eligible. Divisional Secretaries 
should recommend those best fitted and most deserving, for transfer. 
But the Divisional Secretaries, working hard with insufficient helpers 
at difficult tasks, found it difficult to recommend that their best 
workers should be taken from them, especially as they could not be 
sure that they would be replaced by others. The fact that some of 
the best workers were physically unfitted for front-line conditions, as 
shown by the grading of the Medical Department upon physical exam- 
inations, made this rule seem invidious in its application. The 
problem was a puzzling one, and probably no one was satisfied with 
the practical solution except those whose desires for front line service 
were gratified. 

As the troops poured into France and as the burden of supervision 
rapidly increased, the early system by which each Y Divisional Secre- 
tary reported directly to Paris evolved into the dividing of France 
into eight regions, each headed by a Regional Director and Regional 
Business Secretary who with their stafif were responsible for coordi- 
nating the Y activities within the territory. 

From the American viewpoint the outstanding incidents of the 
period from the beginning of the German Ofifensive, March 21, until 
about August 1, 1918, when the German Army was definitely thrown 
back of the line of the Aisne, were the engagements at Cantigny and 
Chateau-Thierry. Here for the first time the Y had opportunity to 
serve troops in the conditions of active open warfare. 

First American Divisions in Line with French and British 

Service to combat troops in the British and French zones was seri- 
ously hampered by the regulations governing the movement of mili- 
tarized civilians in the forward areas. Permission for a worker to 



WITHJHE ARMY IN FRANCE 35 

go to such troops had to be secured from both the American and the 
Allied Army authorities, and the process of securing such permission 
took from six to twenty days. An attempt was made to improve this 
by a provision that workers might go to American divisions any- 
where upon written request of the Divisional General for a stipulated 
number of workers. This did away with the need of getting any but 
American approval. The Divisional commanders, however, varied 
very much in the numbers of workers they would request or authorize, 
and some made no requests at all. On this account there were never 
as many workers at the front as the Y M C A desired and was pre- 
pared to furnish, and those workers who were fortunate enough to 
make their way to the front worked to the limit of their strength 
in the effort to make up for the deficiency of numbers. 

For the provision of creature comforts advance warehouses were 
pushed up toward the line to the nearest available railhead and de- 
pots of supplies were established at convenient points along the rear 
of the line from which to serve the advancing troops. From these 
depots by every available method chocolate, cigarets, biscuits, etc., 
were distributed to the units engaged. In some localities Ford cam- 
ionettes carried their loads to wooded positions occupied by the 
American artillery, whence the supplies were taken into the lines either 
by the secretaries or by runners detailed from the military units for 
that purpose. Elsewhere motorcycles, handcarts, peasants' wagons 
drawn by horses, goats, or any available animals were utilized. The 
number of secretaries attached to the eight Divisions during the 
Chateau-Thierry engagement was 381 and all the members of this 
personnel were under shell fire and exposed to bombing operations 
practically throughout the engagement. Every secretary who could 
drive a car or truck was pressed into service to bring up goods to 
the advanced depots. The men assigned to the fighting units lived 
and slept in the open with the troops and advanced to serve them 
as far as the local Commanding Officers would permit. 

During the month of July, 1918, when the 3d, 28th, and 42d 
Divisions were brought up to support the French on the Marne, and 
when the American troops were heavily engaged at Chateau-Thierry 
and Belleau Wood, the Y distributed to these three divisions, with- 
out charge, 61,593.58 francs worth of supplies, and received from the 
men for remittance to their families a total of 1,669,627.56 francs. 

First Drives of the Ail-American Offensives 

As soon as the line of the Aisne had become definitely stabilized, 
General Pershing withdrew the American divisions that had been 
brigaded with the French and British Armies and began the organi- 
zation of the First American Army and the preparation for the first 



36 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

All-American Offensive at St. Mihiel. In preparation for this emerg- 
ency the YMCA commenced to stock its warehouse at Nancy and 
to strengthen the personnel of the organizations attached to the com- 
bat divisions in this sector. The service of the Y during the St. 
Mihiel offensive was a repetition on a larger scale of that given at 
Chateau-Thierry. Immediately following the first drive the Y sec- 
retaries penetrated through the reserve lines and established their 
outposts in the vicinity of the advanced dressing stations, in the 
region where the shell fire from both the German and the American 
artillery was passing over their heads. The difificulty of bringing 
up supplies under these conditions was such that comparatively small 
quantities of goods could be distributed. The service consisted 
chiefly in the provision of hot chocolate and in cooperation on the 
part of the Y workers, of whom several were women, in rendering 
first aid to the wounded. All YMCA motor transport employed in 
bringing up supplies was utilized on return trips to capacity in 
carrying wounded men to the rear. The service thus rendered re- 
ceived the warmest commendations from Commanding Officers by 
whom it was observed, a number of the personnel being cited for 
military honors. 

Though this service was in the aggregate extensive, it was only 
a very small part of the performance which the Y had planned but 
in the carrying out of which it was prevented through necessary ac- 
tion on the part of General Headquarters and the War Department 
which had greatly to cut down the tonnage, supplies, and transpor- 
tation which could be made available to the YMCA. General Head- 
quarters had greatly to restrict the number of Y workers, which could 
be sanctioned for work vnth the combat divisions, owing to the 
General Staff policy of keeping at a minimum the number of non- 
combatants attached to the fighting divisions. The similar service 
which was rendered during the movements attending the Meuse- 
Argonne Offensive was for the same reason regarded by the YMCA 
as wholly inadequate, because the official military policy adopted in 
good faith in the interests of winning the War prevented the YMCA 
from making available in this offensive the canteen supplies, welfare 
equipment and large personnel which the YMCA had available and 
in reserve. Just at this period the change in the submarine situation 
enabled General Headquarters at last to sanction in large measure 
the earlier Y program for personnel, supplies and equipment. If this ac- 
tion had been taken three months earlier or if the War had gone 
on three months more, the service of the Y to combat troops even 
under war movement conditions, would have been more than doubled. 

The number of personnel assigned to the nine combat divisions 
engaged in the St. Mihiel drive was 362 men and 34 women; in the 



WITH THE ARMY IN FRANCE 37 

21 divisions in the Meuse-Argonne 653 men and 36 women. These 
are the minimum figures, subject to a maximum revision. Twenty 
divisions were engaged in the St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne opera- 
tions, the American Offensive having been practically continuous from 
the middle of September until the middle of November. During the 
three months' period covered by the All-American Offensive — Sep- 
tember, October and November — the Y distributed without charge 
to the Divisions engaged a total of 1,957,186.87 francs' worth of sup- 
plies, and collected from the men for remittance to their families a 
total of 17,339,257.96 francs. 



Advancing with the Army into Germany 

On the day of the Armistice there were in France and on the 
high seas slightly in excess of 2,000,000 American soldiers. The Y 
personnel consisted of 3372 men and 1138 women, of whom approxi- 
mately two-fifths were assigned to the combat divisions and the static 
points in the zone of the Armies ; two-fifths were in the Services of 
Supply, including the Leave Areas, and one-fifth at Headquarters 
and in Paris, awaiting military organization. To the Americans was 
assigned the task, created by the terms of the Armistice, of occupy- 
ing the bridgehead at Coblenz, Germany. A Third American Army 
was constituted for this purpose and the Divisions selected were 
ordered by the Commander-in-Chief to begin the long hike of upward 
of 150 miles from the stations they had been occupying in the line to 
their German billets. The Y M C A organizations attached to the sev- 
eral divisions for the most part hiked with the troops, several Amer- 
ican women having marched step by step with the doughboys for a 
period of some 25 days, enduring without murmur all the hardships 
of the trip. The Second American Army was brought up in support 
of the Third Army with headquarters at Toul, and the First Army was 
mobilized in the training areas northwest of Chaumont. The training 
camps in the Services of Supply having now served their purpose were 
evacuated, and the troops in this region were concentrated at com- 
paratively few points to maintain the service at the base ports and 
along the lines of communication. The effect of these changes, from 
the Y viewpoint, was to necessitate the abandonment of several 
hundreds of stations in southern and central France with the con- 
sequent necessity for salvage operations and the immediate instal- 
lation of several hundreds of new stations in the regions occupied 
by the Third and Second Armies. An unusual problem arose in the 
territory of the Second Army owing to unsettled conditions and a 
conflict of orders. The Y first received news of disbandment with in- 
structions to unload all supplies, which they did. Then a new 



38 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

order for organization forced them to replenish stocks, the interim 
being one of considerable embarrassment and confusion. 

Effects of the Armistice 

The psychological effect of the Armistice created new problems. 
Few realized that many months must elapse before the last Amer- 
ican soldier could leave French soil. The sudden relief from war 
tension was followed by immediate relaxation. Hard physical work, 
strenuous training, and above all, the sense of obligation upon every 
man to keep fit and do his part in winning victory had maintained 
discipline and morale on a high plane. With the Armistice the raison 
d'etre of most of the usual soldier occupations was gone, and the Army 
faced the dangers of idleness in which accustomed motives no longer 
were effective. These changes caused a radical shifting of emphasis 
in welfare work. 

Education now for the first time came into its own. Heretofore 
it had been necessarily subordinate to military considerations, and 
limited to such casual and irregular opportunities as presented them- 
selves in the soldiers' busy days. Now it became a prime objective, 
for which men were relieved, by general orders, from military duties. 
The YMCA Army Educational Commission, in anticipation of this 
situation, had laid out a program as wide as the Army itself. A 
careful census of rank and file had discovered more than 40,000 offi- 
cers and men with previous experience as teachers. From these a 
teaching staff was selected, to work under the guidance and super- 
vision of the Educational Commission and its 457 expert educators. 
An undertaking on such a scale required no less an organization to 
administer it than the Army itself. Moreover, the instinctive Amer- 
ican preference for public administration of education was felt by 
soldiers and YMCA alike. With post and division schools, voca- 
tional and farm schools, and the A E F University at Beaune under 
full headway, on April 15, 1919, at the request of the Chief Secretary, 
the Army undertook responsibility for education, and took over the 
educational staff and organization of the YMCA, converting it into 
the Army Educational Corps. 

The YMCA was also relieved of the canteens. The Army now 
had men to operate canteens and it was desirable that they should 
be thus occupied. On the other hand, there was greatly increased 
need of the all-round program of Y M C A activities to occupy, divert 
and permanently benefit the troops. The Chief Secretary therefore 
proposed to the Commander-in-Chief that the Army should take over 
the post exchanges, and with his consent and approval the transfer 
was effected April 1, 1919. 

Thus set free to return to its normal and distinctive work, the 



WITH THE ARMY IN FRANCE 39 

Y immediately pushed the development of the "wet" canteens, in 
which social features were emphasized. The great athletic program 
leading up to the Inter-Allied Games was set on foot. The Enter- 
tainment Department redoubled its activities, with special emphasis 
on "soldier shows" which furnished amusing occupation to thou- 
sands of participants as well as spectators. The details of this re- 
sponse of the whole organization to the new conditions will be found 
in the following pages. 

Women's Work in the A E F — Y MCA 

Two powerful motives operated to bring women into the unac- 
customed scenes of war. One was the resolve of women themselves 
to bear their full share in the nation's great task. The other was 
the desire of the Y M C A to have the best of American women at the 
heart of the A E F. 

Women's work began as early as July 15, 1917, when Mrs. Theo- 
dore Roosevelt, Jr., opened a canteen in the courtyard of a house 
in rue Montaigne, Paris, the first Headquarters of the Y M C A in 
France. It spread to Brest, St. Nazaire, Bourmont and Mailly that 
Fall, and to Gondrecourt where the 1st Division was in training. It 
accompanied the 1st Division to Toul and through their campaigns, 
and at the same time spread through the less adventurous but no 
less fatiguing Services of Supply. When "Big Bertha" was shelling 
Paris, and in those days of the great Spring drive of 1918 when 
schedules were prepared for the possible evacuation of Paris, women 
worked steadily at their office tasks at Headquarters and vied for 
the honor of being the last to leave. They made a brilliant record 
in the Leave Areas and established an indelible memory of quiet 
heroism at the front. A woman was with the first contingent of the 
Army of Occupation to cross the Rhine, and, unless all signs fail, 
so long as a handful of that Army is left in Germany, there will be 
American women ministering to their needs. At first ten women 
were asked for. From this small number the force expanded until 
3400 women were engaged in the work. 

The women who went with the combat divisions found a more 
thrilling experience than came to any of the rest. They ran their 
canteens under fire until ordered to close by commanders. Before 
their troops went into battle they sat sometimes for hours making 
out receipts for money to be sent home as the men emptied their 
pockets. While their units were in action, they worked in dressing 
stations and field hospitals, giving hot drinks to the wounded and 
helping in whatever way was needed. And as the troops were moved 
from point to point they would be on hand with their chocolate 
boilers and sandwiches, serving entraining or detraining men the 



40 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

whole night through. These women were a small minority. There 
were just over 50 Y women under fire with the 1st, 2d, 3d, 4th, 7th, 
24th, 26th, 28th, 29th, 32d, 34th, 35th, 36th, 37th, 42d, 77th, 78th, 
81st, 82d, 89th and 90th Divisions, and with the Foyers du Soldat. Thir- 
teen Y women received the Croix de Guerre, two the Fourragere, and 
many were cited for bravery. Marion Crandall, a Y woman, was 
killed when a shell struck the foyer at Ste. Menehould in the Spring 
of 1918. 

The great majority, in the training camps and Services of Supply, 
if sometimes envious of the more romantic lot of their sisters at the 
front, yielded nothing in pride of their equally useful service. Often 
when a Y woman left Paris she knew no more of her assignment than 
its French name. It might prove to be a village, a camp or a city. 
It might have a hut with a stove and a well organized program of 
activities, or it might have only forlorn hordes of men and much 
mud. Whatever her assignment, her work was usually the vital one 
of being a final personal link, a point of service contact between the 
soldier and the great organization of the Y. 

Their duties were never simple. Canteen menus, by the exercise 
of feminine ingenuity, grew into veritable restaurant service. Their 
cooking was always popular, as the patient length of a thousand 
waiting lines amply testified. The older women found a real mis- 
sion in "Mother's Corner," where the endless mending and sewing 
on of buttons and insignia went on, to the accompaniment of a quiet 
chat that brought to the surface elements of personality almost sub- 
merged in the khaki uniformity of the A E F. Librarians filled the 
interims of handing out books with general social activity. The girls 
who danced were always busy. Outnumbered as the women were 
in that "man's army" they gained a symbolic character as reminders 
of all the women folk at home. Their every grain of character and 
tactful adaptability was called into play. Ability to talk or listen, 
to change a desparing mood, to play any and every game, to make 
a picnic or a party "go," always without a sign of being affected by 
hardship— these were as important as the thousands of doughnuts 
fried or the myriads of cups of chocolate served. 

When the Leave Areas were opened in February, 1918, a great 
many women were selected for the specific purpose of giving the 
tired men as much relaxation and wholesome fun as could be crowded 
into the three or seven day leaves. Dancing was more featured there 
than in the camps, and the success with which the women made 
the men feel like old friends in a single day was attested by the 
tributes written in every Leave Area guest book. 

Nothing could keep the business women in Paris and Regional 
Headquarters from their share in direct service. As in the Army, 



WITH THE ARMY IN GERMANY 41 

"paper work" was never ending, yet after a full business day at desk 
or typewriter or among the files, and on Sundays, a visit to some 
hospital or the creation of a bit of social pleasure for a group of 
soldiers would be preferred to sightseeing or personal recreation. 

There came to be less sex distinction in the work as time went on. 
There were many women in every field of Y service, in executive 
positions, in educational work, in the business offices of the Y, in 
charge of huts or of the women of an entire region. They won 
grateful recognition for their street patrol work, in keeping the men 
out of trouble- in strange cities ; they went out on camions with their 
canteen equipment and brought hot chocolate, lemonade, and good 
company to the men in isolated camps. They were strongly repre- 
sented in the entertainment service, in the Leave Areas, the Foyer 
du Soldat, the Navy and Merchant Marine, and until that work was 
definitely given up to the Red Cross, in the hospitals. And they en- 
joyed it all, long hours, casual accommodations, kitchen drudgery, 
and constant demands on their resources. 

Like the men workers, the women came from all parts of the 
United States. It was Mrs. F. L. Slade, with the aid of Miss Juliana 
Cutting and Mrs. Robert Mead, who arranged recruiting committees 
all over the country, handled the details at New York Headquarters, 
and fought the "Sister rule" which held back so many women eager 
to get into the work of which their brothers were a part. The Junior 
League provided workers of first-rate stuff. The colleges sent units 
to the Y and paid their expenses. The Federation of Women's Clubs 
sent two women from each state. By a week of gymnasium drill, 
of canteen work, and of lectures at Barnard, the Y gave them before 
they sailed a little preparation for the task before them. 

Recruiters and recruited worked together with a will. Praise of 
them has come through many channels, but the greatest satisfaction 
that any Y woman feels is that she played the game with the Army 
and was on hand to be "sis" or "mother" when her services were 
required. 



X— WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN GERMANY 

The Third Army for the occupation of the American Sector in 
Germany was organized in three Army corps, namely, the 3d, 4th, 
and 7th. Of these the 3d Corps, consisting of the 1st, 2d, and 32d 
Divisions, were assigned to occupy the bridgehead on the right bank 
of the Rhine, with headquarters at Neuwied; the 4th, consisting of 
the 3d, 4th, and 42d Divisions, was stationed on the left bank of the 
Rhine with headquarters at Cochem ; and the 7th, consisting of the 



42 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

8th, 9th, and 33d Divisions, along the Moselle and the adjacent 
plateaus, with headquarters at Wittlich. Advance General Head- 
quarters were established at Treves (Trier), and Headquarters for 
the Third Army were established at Coblenz. In all the Third Army 
consisted of some 300,000 men, occupying a territory of approxi- 
mately 3000 square miles. 

The Army of Occupation 

The -striking contrast between the war-torn zone of devastation 
in Northern France and the orderly, comfortable, cheerful life of 
the German cities and villages of the Rhineland, coupled with the 
marked disposition of the civil population to fraternize with the 
American forces, and the relaxation of the military rigors of the 
preceding offensive, created a situation which demanded the fullest 
possible development of the Y social program. The Third Army 
commenced its march to the Rhine at 5 :30 in the morning of Novem- 
ber 17, 1918. The vanguard of the Association forces came into 
the territory of occupation on December 11, 1918. By April 1, 1919, 
four months later, the Y had in operation in Germany 425 full 
time centers, while 83 other points were being served at frequent 
intervals by portable motion picture equipment and rolling canteens. 

The Welfare Program 

Entertainment seemed the form of service most immediately de- 
manded, and the first unit of professional entertainers arrived on 
December 17. Within six months 68 professional units with a total 
of 273 artists, had given in this area a total of 2719 performances. 
In addition, a very extensive soldier talent scheme was set up under 
the direction of professional coaches recruited by the Y and a total 
of 146 soldier talent shows was developed by July 1, 1919, the 138 
officers and 2966 enlisted men, trained in this way, having given a 
total of 4935 performances. The Y supplied the members of this 
soldier talent with a total of 3915 costumes, of which about 2000 
were purchased from the owners of German theaters, and the re- 
mainder made up in a Y shop at Coblenz. In addition, the Y fur- 
nished a total of 4029 musical instruments of thirty-seven varieties. 
It produced and had printed 44 complete orchestrations to a total 
of 4400 copies. It also published and distributed for use at the pianos 
which the Y had furnished to the huts throughout the area at a cost 
of 212,000 marks, 545,000 copies of sheet music. 

Fifty-five of the larger centers in the occupied territory were 
equipped with standard Power's motion picture machines and 63 
similar machines were mounted on 1^ ton trucks fully equipped 



WITH THE ARMY IN GERMANY 43 

with electric plants and storage batteries. These portable equip- 
ments visited regularly the detached units and gave an average of 
approximately 100 shows each night. In Coblenz, one motion pic- 
ture house alone, the famous "Lese Verein," operating all day and 
all night, showed to a total of 1,566,000 men from January 1 to July 
1, the total attendance for the Third Army during this period having 
been more than 5,000,000. 

After the Armistice, the minds of the men began to turn toward 
the problem of future adjustment to civil life, and a widespread and 
insistent demand sprang up for educational opportunities, particu- 
larly along vocational lines. In the Third Army, a comprehensive 
educational scheme, including lectures on a wide variety of subjects, 
together with a system of regular classes, was quickly developed. 
By April 15, when the educational work was taken over by the Army, 
23,000 enlisted men had already been registered under a staff of 
1010 teachers detailed by the Army for this purpose, supervised by 
a Y educational director with a staff of 28 assistants and 30 special 
lecturers. In addition, the Y supervised the distribution of a very 
liberal supply of books provided by the American public through 
the American Library Association; fiynished 40,000 new American 
magazines monthly, and served to all the military units, no matter 
how widely scattered in out-of-the-way places on the Rhine, during 
the main period of occupation, 70,000 copies daily of the Paris editions 
of the "New York Herald," "Chicago Tribune," and the "London 
Daily Mail," without charge. 

A series of regular religious services were conducted throughout 
the period of occupation in the 35 largest Army centers. On every 
Sunday in the famous "Fest Halle," at Coblenz, a service was con- 
ducted that was the outstanding weekly event of that city. The 
auditorium was packed to its seating capacity of 2500 for every serv- 
ice, and the men participated whole-heartedly. Two full time re- 
ligious work directors were attached to each division and an average 
of 20 itinerant speakers with an equal number of singers were regu- 
larly employed. During the first six months alone, more than a 
million pieces of literature and 250,000 song books were distributed. 

An athletic program was developed which reached practically 
every man in the Army of Occupation. In addition to mass games, 
basketball, baseball, football, and track events were promoted, cul- 
minating in the Army of Occupation and A E F championships, the 
89th Division football team, representing the Army of Occupation, 
winning the championship of the A E F. An extensive athletic field 
with a quarter-mile track and a 220-yard straightaway was built 
on Carnival Island on the Rhine River near Coblenz which would 
do justice to any American university, and "Liberty Hut," built ex- 



44 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

pressly for athletic purposes on the grounds of the ex-Kaiser's palace, 
provided gymnasium facilities for championship contests and accom- 
modated 4000 spectators for boxing events. Athletic equipment to 
the total value of $369,466.45 was distributed prior to June 30. 

The Leave Areas in Germany 

A special feature of the Leave Areas service included the leave 
areas provided for the Army of Occupation in Germany at Coblenz, 
Neuwied, Andernach, Treves, and Neuenahr, with sight-seeing trips 
to Ehrenbreitstein, the strongest fortification in Germany, and other 
points of local interest, and excursions on the picturesque and historic 
Rhine. The Army requisitioned seven German Rhine excursion 
steamers, with a total carrying capacity of 3500. The Y supplied for 
each boat a lecturer, fully acquainted with the history, geography and 
legends of the Rhine, and a group of Y M C A women. The outgoing- 
party was in the hands of the lecturer for instruction, while the 
return journey was given over entirely to merrymaking, presided 
over by "real American women." On each trip the YMCA pre- 
pared meals from rations furnished by the Army, and in addition 
provided refreshments consisting of ice cream, doughnuts, pies, 
cookies, sandwiches and coffee. 

To make this leave program possible the YMCA operated in 
these German Leave Centers a total of nineteen hotels and restaurants. 
The cafeteria operated in Victory Hut in Coblenz holds a record of 
7000 meals per day. The several hotels and restaurants conducted by 
the Y served an average of 18,000 meals daily during the main period 
of occupation. 

One of the most appreciated features at each of the Leave Centers 
in both France and Germany were the booklets on points of local 
interest, prepared and printed by the YMCA for free distribution 
to all men on leave. 

For the reduced Army of Occupation Coblenz is being used as 
the exclusive Leave Center in Germany and the same general pro- 
gram developed for the original Army of Occupation is being con- 
tinued. 



Problems in the Canteen Service 

"^ Canteen service with the Army of Occupation was hindered prior 
to January 20, 1919, by a general freight embargo, bul; from this 
date to April 1, when the Army took over the canteen, the Y handled 
a total of 618 carloads of canteen supplies valued at $5,484,725.51. 
The physical effort involved in this undertaking was in addition to 



WITH THE ARMY IN GERMANY 45 

the handling of 600 carloads of magazines, books, athletic equip- 
ment, hut equipment, huts, tables, benches, and other supplies. 

Upon the taking over of the work of the dry canteens by the 
Army, the Y established an extensive wet canteen service, serving 
at very low cost, hot and cold drinks, ice cream, cakes, pies, dough- 
nuts, etc. This necessitated operating a large number of bakeries 
and ice cream plants. To supply the ice cream, evaporated milk and 
sugar had to be imported from America and 17 ice cream plants 
established with a daily output of 7800 liters. The Y dispensed, free 
of charge during the first six months, canteen supplies valued at 
10,465,500 marks, this form of service having been extended to the 
most out-of-the-way places by means of rolling canteens. 

A review of the Y work in Germany would not be complete 
without special reference to the "Fest Halle," the great town hall 
at Coblenz, requisitioned by the military authorities at the suggestion 
of the Y M C A Soldiers' Leave Department, in December, 1918, 
and turned over to the Y for its main center of activities. This 
building contained a great lobby with comfortable lounging furni- 
ture of every description, capable of seating 1500 people, a restaurant 
of 500 capacity, a library stocked with American books, a great audi- 
torium with a seating capacity of 2500, pool tables, bowling alleys, 
game rooms, and additional lounging rooms, in fact, all the privileges 
of the most modern American club. It was packed to capacity 
throughout the period of occupation. 

The following are some of the main items of expenditure cover- 
ing the first six months, January to June, inclusive, of the period 
of occupation. After that date the Army of Occupation was quickly 
reduced to its present total of approximately 15,000 men. 

> 

Marks 

Huts 4,556,250.00 

Tables 122,500.00 

Benches 475,000.00 

Chairs 56,250.00 

Pianos 212,000.00 

Victrolas 30,000.00 

Records 200,000.00 

Athletic Supplies 925,000.00 

Newspapers 937,500.00 

Stationery 700,000.00 

Prizes and Trophies 290,000.00 

Free Welfare 10,465,500.00 

Supplies sold at net cost 31,485,121.00 

Ice Cream Plants 75,000.00 



46 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

With the Remaining Forces in Germany 

On the withdrawal of the famous divisions constituting the old 
Third Army, there came into Germany the new American force of 
15,000 men, and the Y M C A set up a new permanent organization 
in charge of Mr. James A. Sprenger, who had been formerly asso- 
ciated with the management of the Leave Areas in France, to con- 
tinue its welfare service. The Army requisitioned for the use of 
the Y for educational purposes the large Kaiserin Augusta School 
building in Coblenz, and in November, 1919, this school alone showed 
a total enrollment of 350 men organized into classes in English, 
French, German, arithmetic, algebra, geometry, typewriting, short- 
hand, and geography. A school for children of American officers 
and enlisted men was also opened in Coblenz under YMCA auspices. 
Religious services are being provided even for the smallest detach- 
ments, notable speakers continuing to give their messages nightly 
throughout the occupied zone. A complete athletic program is in 
operation, an 18 team football league having been conducted during 
the Fall of 1919, with basketball and boxing contests throughout 
the Fall and Winter. A standard swimming pool is open daily in 
Coblenz for officers and enlisted men of the American forces under 
the supervision of an expert swimming instructor. Tennis equip- 
ment has been provided and a series of tennis courts laid out 
in Coblenz and other centers. Two professional entertainment 
units are constantly occupied, soldier talent companies are be- 
ing developed and trained, and musical supplies and costumes 
furnished. A total of 56 musicians employed in orchestras are play- 
ing nightly for American Army functions of every description. In 
October, 1919, 616 cinema shows were given at 47 different centers. 
Never before, perhaps, has any similar group of men been so well 
and extensively entertained as the 15,000 soldiers at present consti- 
tuting the American Forces in Germany. 



The Y with American Forces in Belgium 

On military announcement that the Third Army would receive 
supplies, additional troops, and be evacuated through Antwerp and 
Rotterdam, the Y M C A established a Regional organization at Ant- 
werp, with divisional organizations also in Rotterdam and Brussels. 
Work began in March, 1919, and continued until July 1. The Army 
plan was changed, but about 2300 Americans were stationed in the 
ports at the docks and in police work, and large numbers visited 
the region on leave. A full program of activities was carried on, 
special attention being given to sight-seeing trips to Ostend, Zee- 
brugge, Louvain, and similar points of great interest. At Brussels 



COMING HOME WITH THE ARMY 47 

no separate work was attempted, but an unusually cordial coopera- 
tion was effected with the Anglo-Belgian Y M C A which had been 
operating since November, 1918. Cooperation between the Y M C A, 
the Knights of Columbus and the Jewish Welfare Board was note- 
worthy in this region, and the willing and efficient assistance of Bel- 
gian civilians was gratefully acknowleged. 



XI— COMING HOME WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY 

After the Armistice, the American Commander-in-Chief was con- 
fronted with the problem of repatriating an army of more than 
2,000,000. More than two years had been occupied in bringing the 
A E F to France, although 1,500,000 men had been transported dur- 
ing the nine months immediately preceding the Armistice, the 
highest record for a single month having been somewhat in ex- 
cess of 300,000, In addition, the British Army, for the repatriation of 
its own troops, withdrew about half of the transport that it had 
furnished to bring the American Army to France, thus by so much 
increasing the burden of the American transport service. It was 
therefore apparent that a period of approximately seven months at 
best would be required for the repatriation of the American Forces. 
To facilitate this process, the General Staff established two chief 
centers, one for casuals at St. Aignan, the other for combat divisions 
at Le Mans. In addition, embarkation camps were established in 
the vicinity of the principal base ports. 

In the Forwarding Camp at Le Mans 

The Y had already completely organized its service at St. Aignan 
and the ports and it was only necessary to strengthen its organiza- 
tion at these points to deal with the new problems arising during this 
period. At Le Mans, however, a situation developed which taxed to 
the utmost the resources of the Association. All the divisions in 
France, over thirty in number, were scheduled to pass through this 
area in order that the men might be given a medical examination 
and have their papers examined and rated according to a uniform 
system, to facilitate their final demobilization in the United States. 
Here the troops were also to be passed through a delousing plant and 
completely re-outfitted. In all, over 400,000 men were handled in 
the Le Mans area within a period of three months. 

Le Mans was selected for this purpose because it occupies a 
strategic position on the lines of communication along which the 
armies were distributed, from which outbound troops could be 
readily forwarded to any of the ports where transport was available. 



48 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

Le Mans had been previously occupied by one or two divisions only, 
as a replacement depot, so that it was necessary for both the Army 
and the Y to set up, over night as it were, housing accommodations 
sufficient to accommodate approximately a quarter of a million sol- 
diers, furnish necessary supplies and make provision to occupy the 
time of the soldiers. 

A further emergency from the standpoint of morale was created 
by the fact that men of a division which was ordered to Le Mans, 
confidently expected to be immediately sent home. This, in the case of 
many divisions, the supply of available transport did not permit, nor 
was any information obtainable as to how soon sailing orders would 
be received. The resulting state of suspense was exceedingly trying 
to both officers and men and tended to make all ranks of service ex- 
ceedingly critical of the general living conditions which were, indeed, 
in many respects, far from satisfactory. 

How the Y Met Emergency at Le Mans 

To meet this emergency, the YMCA constituted this area a 
separate region, and set up a complete regional organization with 
headquarters at Le Mans, to coordinate the activities of the divisional 
staffs that came into the area with the incoming divisions, initiated 
an intensive construction program which resulted in the building of 
twenty-seven wooden structures and developed on the largest possible 
scale its complete program of welfare activities. 

By the first of May, 1919, there were in active occupation in this 
region over 400 YMCA centers grouped under 13 separate divisional 
organizations, with a total personnel of 580, of which 268 were women. 
In addition, a daily average of about 350 detailed soldiers were engaged 
in welfare activities under Y supervision and a large number of civil- 
ians were being employed. These stations included 27 wooden huts 
and 71 tents, besides a large number of theaters, clubs, hotels and 
other places of various kinds, ranging all the way from single rooms 
to regular army hangars, requiring from 800 to 1000 benches and a 
carload of lumbei: for flooring. The majority of these stations were 
fully equipped as wet canteens with a supply of stoves, boilers, urns, 
cups, etc. The club rooms for officers and men had been furnished with 
suitable chairs, benches, tables, pianos, books and magazines. Thea- 
ters and entertainment halls had been equipped with stages, benches, 
tables, scenery, and other properties. 

Here, as in the occupied region in Germany, the emphasis was 
shifted from the canteen to the four-fold Association program. Nine 
separate schools were organized, occupying eleven buildings, and 
98 subjects were being taught by a corps of 54 teachers, using text- 
books numbering 913 titles. In addition, an intensive program of 



COMING HOME WITH THE ARMY 49 

lectures and practical talks on various topics was being conducted. 
From two to four truckloads of the latest American and British 
magazines were distributed through the area each week, libraries 
were established in the various centers with the cooperation of the 
American Library Association and from six to ten thousand copies 
of the daily newspapers printed in Paris in English were distributed 
daily within two hours after their arrival from Paris. 

At the middle of January, the entertainment office at Le Mans 
was booking an average of ten shows, averaging four Y units of 
from three to six persons, and six shows recruited from the Army 
with an average personnel of thirty to fifty doughboys. 

During the month of March, 1919, a program of 3078 entertain- 
ments V4ras put over with a total attendance of 3,500,000. Several 
dramatic companies were formed in this area and completely equipped 
with musical instruments, costumes and make-up. 

Especial emphasis was laid upon the religious work program, at 
least two religious services being given each week at practically 
every hut, one on Sunday and another on some night during the week. 
American preachers released by their churches for the purpose, toured 
the area. On Easter Sunday, April 20, more than 200 services were 
given which were attended by over 27,000 men. A uniform com- 
munion service was supplied from headquarters and communion was 
partaken of by 4124 persons. 

During the months of April and May, 1919, 2484 religious serv- 
ices were held with a total attendance of 473,818; 304 Bible classes 
were organized with a total attendance of 15,971; 67 special speakers 
were employed; and a total of 433,528 pieces of religious literature 
were distributed. 

The divisions entering this area were accompanied by an athletic 
personnel of two to four men and were either partially or completely 
equipped with athletic goods on their arrival. The average personnel 
of the athletic department of the region consisted of from twenty-five 
to thirty directors. To fill up shortages and replace worn-out goods, 
31,464 pieces of athletic equipment were issued, without charge, of 
which some 80 per cent was baseball material. During the month of 
March 524,626 men participated in athletic games under Y super- 
vision. Fifteen athletic meets were conducted and the attendance at 
athletic games was estimated at 1,140,610. By May 1, twenty-nine 
baseball leagues were in operation. 

The Y personnel attached to each division accompanied it from 
Le Mans to the base port and assisted the Y organization at the em- 
barkation camps in serving the men during the period of embarka- 
tion. In many cases the entire personnel, by request of the Com- 



50 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

manding Officer, accompanied the division on the transports which 
took them home. 

The Return Voyage of the American Doughboys 

It was inevitable that our men should have further trials of 
patience in facing the return voyage. In view of the fact that trans- 
porting men overseas had ceased, and in view of the further fact that 
food supplies were so short in Europe, many of the ships which 
transported men overseas were immediately turned over as supply 
vessels with a corresponding reduction in space for carrying men 
home. This aggravated the conditions. The men were given a good 
send-off at British and French ports by the American YMCA, and 
until welfare workers were removed from transports in June, 1919, 
by Government orders, the men were served by Y secretaries on 
shipboard in a manner somewhat similar to that which prevailed en 
route overseas, with such changes as the return voyage necessitated. 

Home Again 

On arrival at ports in the United States, the men were served by 
YMCA secretaries. In 1920, over 20,000 American citizens who 
enlisted in the Polish Army returned from overseas to be demobilized 
in America, and they were met at the piers and served there and 
en route to camp by Y secretaries. 

When the 27th Division and the 77th Division paraded in New 
York, the 28th Division in Philadelphia, and the 1st Division in New 
York City and Washington, the men of these Divisions were served 
by Y secretaries en route to and from the parades. 

Demobilization — Back to Citizen Life 

On arrival from overseas the men were sent to debarkation camps 
and distributed from there to demobilization camps. Again the 
YMCA served the men en route. From debarkation to demobiliza- 
tion camps Y men were on 4339 troop trains carrying 2,094,936 men: 
articles distributed were 2,177,294 bars of chocolate, 2,164,339 pack- 
ages of gum, 1,507,570 packages of cigarets, 2,500,000 post cards, 
3,500,000 pieces of literature such as newspapers, magazines, etc. 
From April, 1917, to complete demobilization over 10,000 troop trains 
with approximately 6,000,000 men were served by Y M C A Secre- 
taries. 

Men were also served from demobilization camps to home cities 
when they traveled in large enough numbers to warrant the assign- 
ment of a secretary to the train. 



COMING HOME WITH THE ARMY 51 

Demobilization and Repatriation of Y M C A Workers 

As the Army began to leave France, the proportion of Y M C A 
workers increased. It was General Pershing's plan that welfare 
organizations should demobilize at the same proportionate rate as 
the Army, but scarcity of transport and prior claims of Army per- 
sonnel upon accommodations made this impossible. On April 1, 
1919, the Y personnel reached its maximum, and for the first time 
in a year attained the minimum quota estimated as necessary. 

Then, with the cessation of new arrivals and the departure of 
workers whose units had embarked, the Y force began to shrink 
almost as rapidly as the Army. During the last three months there 
were workers enough to demonstrate what an adequate force might 
have meant to the Army in the more strenuous periods of the War. 
As division after division arrived at LeMans, its Y workers were 
added to the force in that great embarkation center, and its program 
of activities gave the soldiers a new conception of the real purpose 
and efficiency of the Y. 

Y men and women, like the soldiers, were eager to get home. 
Families were waiting for them, and neglected business was calling. 
But they stayed cheerfully until the troops, to which they were as- 
signed, had gone. Ordered to Paris for release, and from Paris to 
one of the embarkation "pools" near Brest, St. Nazaire or Bordeaux, 
to wait their turn to embark, they felt the universal tension and 
found the days irksome until the shores of America should come into 
view. 

All westbound shipping was controlled by the Government; dur- 
ing April and May, 1919, limited accommodations were released for 
the personnel of welfare organizations. In June, at the urgent recom- 
mendation of General Pershing, the War Department assumed full 
responsibility for the repatriation of welfare workers; thereafter a 
proportion of space on every transport was allotted to each organi- 
zation. During June and July, over 4200 Y workers were brought 
home, and by September, 1919, only 150 were left, occupied with 
salvage of Y equipment or permanently assigned to the Army of 
Occupation. Upon arrival in New York, accounts were speedily ad- 
justed, final releases made, and the workers returned to their homes 
east and west, north and south. There the well-worn uniforms gave 
place to strange feeling "civies," and the Y army took up the tasks 
of normal life. 

After Demobilization 

The active fighting over, there remained the problem of readjust- 
ing the men to the services of civil life. This was a problem of the 



52 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

whole nation ; the Y endeavored to bear its part. It is not possible 
to rehearse all the various enterprises directed to this end, but two 
general aspects of the service should be noted. 

City Associations almost without exception offered a three 
months' free membership to service men. This carried with it not 
only the social and recreational advantages of the institution during 
the uncertain period when men were "getting located," but also placed 
at their disposal the well-organized employment service that is a 
part of every large local organization. These facilities were made 
available and a very large number of men were placed in adequate 
positions. 

Education and Adjustment 

The YMCA has always given large place to education. Naturall)' 
the purpose has been not to compete with regular educational systems 
but to specialize upon education for those who, for one reason or 
another, have not enjoyed the benefits of a thorough training in the 
regular course of their lives. Before the War, the Y schools stretched 
from coast to coast; during the War educational features were slipped 
in wherever there was opportunity; now that the men are home 
again, a special program has been made to help such as feel the 
urgent need or a renewed desire for either general or technical 
education. 

For the present year, 1920, the sum of $4,000,000 has been appro- 
priated for the benefit of ex-service men. 

The plan offers scholarships which are available for tuition and 
other expenses in Y M C A schools and other schools and colleges, and 
any correspondence courses conducted by the Extension Division of 
the United States YMCA schools. Regional, state and local commit- 
tees have been organized to award these scholarships which are al- 
lotted on the general basis of population. There has also been created 
a Division of Occupational Guidance designed to assist men properly 
to choose courses and locate themselves. The range of courses is so 
large that it is no exaggeration to say that any man who is awarded 
a scholarship may pursue any line of study for which he has the apti- 
tude and inclination. 

The Future 

During the War the nation was united behind the national enter- 
prise; war work was the first item on every program. But the 
regular enterprise of the Y continued in the home communities and 
certain aspects of the work were strengthened at a cost of much 



WITH THE ARMIES OF OUR ALLIES 53 

overtime effort on the part of depleted forces assisted by the self- 
denying labor of thousands of volunteer workers. 

The International Convention of Young Men's Christian Asso- 
ciations assembled in Detroit in November, 1919, pledged the organi- 
zation at large to a vigorous extension of service and an intensifying 
of the whole program of activities. The advance has been started 
and will continue. The future will find this organization, in hearty 
cooperation with all other groups, busy in its special field of service. 



XII— WITH THE ARMIES OF OUR ALLIES 

Around the World with the Y 

The modern crusade under the Red Triangle extended its lines until 
it reached all the armies of the world, grasping hands with the soldiers 
of all nations and races. The funds expended by the American Y M C A 
in the Armies of our Allies, independent of both the Prisoners of War 
Work (see pp. 100-108) and the enormous work with the A E F in 
France (see pp. 24-41) reached nearly $20,000,000. 

The American Y served in the French Army as the Foyer du Soldat. 
It assisted the British and Canadian Y's with the Chinese Labor 
Corps in France, with the Belgians and Portuguese, the Moroccans, 
and the score of races marshalled in the fighting forces. It served in 
the Italian Army as the Casa del Soldato. It served with the Rou- 
manians, the Czecho-Slovaks, and in Poland ; in the prison camps of 
Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Bulgaria; with the Russians in the 
Southern and Central Armies ; with the Allied forces in North Russia 
to the frozen front at Archangel and across Siberia to the Pacific 
Ocean. With its international associates it carried the Red Triangle 
into Greece, Egypt, Palestine and Mesopotamia. With the British 
and Indian Y's it entered Jerusalem, the citadel of the ancient cru- 
saders, after seven centuries of Moslem domination ; it cooperated 
with the Indian Y in Mesopotamia; it set up its precepts of humanity 
in the Turkish Empire,, in Constantinople and Asia Minor. It placed 
its resources at the disposal of the Y's in Africa, in India, at the ports 
of China, in the Philippines, in Japan. 

It is proposed to glance rapidly at a few of these points ; space 
limitations will allow only the briefest mention of outstanding facts. 
Here again we must call attention to the important and ever-present fact 
of the coordinate work that was at all times being conducted bv the British, 
Canadian, Australian and Indian Y M C A's throughout the world — 
simultaneously with the operations of the American Y. 



54 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

1 — With the French Army 

Le Foyer du Soldat— The Soldier's "Fireside" 

The military history of France will give due recognition to the Foyer 
du Soldat, the "Fireside" of the French Army. Its originator was 
Emmanuel Sautter, who afterwards became Secretary of the World's 
Committee of the YMCA. It was financed in part by private sub- 
scriptions from French civilians but chiefly by the International Com- 
mittee of the American Association, and also with funds raised by the 
War Work Council of the Y M C A. It marked a new epoch in the 
French Army, as will be seen by the final results. So important did it 
become in Army morale that it was soon organized under a committee 
of prominent French citizens, distinct from the French National 
YMCA. General De Lacroix, sometime Vice-President of the Su- 
preme War Council, was President. Ambassador Sharp had a seat 
on this committee. 

This, the beginning of social welfare work on a large scale in the 
French Army, was extended through American assistance nearly two 
and a half years before America entered the War. It resulted in 
an expenditure of over $7,600,000 in the French Army by the American 
YMCA, which was, of course, independent of the work being con- 
ducted with the American Army. In January, 1915, the first "foyer" 
or "fireside" hut was opened at Baccarat, in the Vosges. The military 
authorities in that sector saw its influence in strengthening the fighting 
spirit, the "will to victory" among the soldiers. They asked for an 
extension of the service, and in December, 1915, there were twenty 
foyers, of which fourteen were at the front. Throughout -1916 the 
demand increased. Foyers were opened in the Verdun Sector where 
General Petain commanded the French Army. Approximately 70 huts 
were opened prior to September, 1917. 

The Union Franco-Americaine and General Petain 

General Petain' grasped the full purpose of this work by observing 
its effect among his command in the Verdun Sector. In July, 1917, he 
discussed its military value with General Pershing, expressing his judg- 
ment that the rapid extension of the foyers would prove one of the best 
things that Americans could do for the morale of the French Army. 
The Y at once offered to increase the foyers to two hundred. 

General Petain arranged a conference with American YMCA offi- 
cials at Field Headquarters, where a program was agreed upon, and on 
August 27, 1917, arrangements were made for the opening of at least 
100 additional huts for the French troops. Upon recommendation of 
General Petain it was decided that Mr. Sautter, the French General 
Secretary, should remain in charge, but that he should have associated 



WITH THE ARMIES OF OUR ALLIES 55 

with him D. A. Davis and W. S. Coffin as representatives of the National 
War Work Council of the United States. It was further agreed that 
American secretaries, wearing the uniform of the American Army, should 
serve with French directors in the foyers. The organization was sanc- 
tioned under the name of Foyer du Soldat, Union Franco-Americaine. 
Paul Painleve, Prime Minister and Secretary for War, wrote to 
Mr. Sautter on October 19, 1917, stating that at the request of the 
Commander in Chief of the French Army, he had decided on the con- 
struction of approximately 1300 huts, and asked: "How many will it 
be possible for the Y M C A to undertake ?" Mr. Sautter replied in true 
Y spirit that he would be willing to undertake "all those which other 
organizations could not care for." One welfare organization agreed to 
open about 15 huts; a few others were assigned to small organizations; 
the remainder, practically the entire 1300 huts, were left to the Foyer 
du Soldat, 



Cooperation of the French Army 

The French Government on February 23, 1918, issued regulations 
covering the operations of the foyers on a practical basis of cooperation. 
The French Department of War agreed to furnish buildings, tables and 
benches, and light and heat; a committee appointed by the Minister for 
War was to pass on a list of books, from which a selection of 200 should 
be sent to each hut, this 200 to include 100 volumes of general literature, 
60 of industrial education and 40 of information concerning the Allies 
and the causes and purposes of the War. The Quartermaster Corps 
was instructed to furnish supplies, and Army cooperation in the trans- 
portation of material. All political and sectarian propaganda was abso- 
lutely forbidden, also the serving of any alcoholic beverages; free distri- 
bution of coffee, chocolate, etc., was permitted only in exceptional cases, 
such as times of offensive or in the front line. 



Rapid Development of the Foyer du Soldat — 1452 Huts 

The number of foyers grew rapidly. To mark the Franco- American 
victory of September, 1918, Foyer No. 1000 was assigned to St. Mihiel, 
September 19. When the French occupied Metz, the former capital of 
Lorraine, the old Kaiser Wilhelm Haus became Foyer No. 1200, — a 
center of recreation for the French instead of the Germans. 

The record on February 28, 1919, shows that 1452 foyers had 
actually been opened; of these approximately 130 were captured or 
destroyed by shell fire, during the German advance over the Chemin 
des Dames, 50 had been transferred to American work, and 434 had 
been closed on account of the movement of the French Army into 



56 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

Germany. The maximum number of huts actually operated at any 
one time was about 850. 

The long line of foyers for French troops reached, in 1919, through 
France, including Alsace and Lorraine, Belgium, the occupied parts of 
Germany, Luxemburg, Greece, Roumania, Caucasus, Smyrna, Konia, 
Morocco, Tunis, Algeria and Siberia. 

The personnel serving these foyers on February 28, 1919: French 
secretaries, men (released from Army 404, civilian 146) 550; women, 
245 ; American secretaries, men 273; women 55 ; total 1123. 

To render adequate service to the foreign and colonial elements in 
the French Army, books and reading matter were supplied in 36 dif- 
ferent languages. Among these were Italian, Russian, Polish, Portu- 
guese, Chinese, Senegalese, and Arabic. Writing materials were sup- 
plied free in all huts. During the Winter of 1918-1919 it is estimated 
that from five to ten million letters were written from the foyers monthly. 

Canteens — Entertainment — Athletics 

At first canteen work was done on a small scale because of the 
military cooperative canteens in the French Army ; but after the ofifen- 
sives developed the cooperatives no longer functioned adequately and 
the foyers were called upon to increase their supplies to meet the 
emergency. Entertainment was confined chiefly to cinema produc- 
tions supplied largely by the French Army. American educational 
and stereopticon slides were introduced in the later months. Musical 
and vaudeville acts were developed from local talent. Checkers 
and dominoes were played constantly. Athletics were so successful 
that in July, 1918, General Cottez, Director of French Infantry and 
Physical Training, urged the introduction of baseball in all centers of 
physical instruction, officers' training schools, and other camps of 
instruction for younger men. At the suggestion of M. Clemenceau 
and as a direct result of official observations and reports on the effects 
of the "foyers," a special bureau for physical and moral education was 
instituted in the War Department. 

American Y and the New France 

Eight principal training schools were instituted in different parts of 
France for the training of athletic directors for the French Army or for 
the public schools for boys. To each of these training schools an 
American physical director was assigned by the Y. As a result of the 
work of American physical directors among the French and the pres- 
ence of the American Army playing American games, there has been 
a tremendous awakening of interest in athletics throughout France. 



WITH THE ARMIES OF OUR ALLIES 57 

The effects of this will be felt by the entire French population, civilian 
as well as military. 

At Marseilles there was an immense athletic field. During demobili- 
zation, American football and baseball, volley ball and other sports 
were played by Arabs, Madagascans, Senegalese, Tunisians and Ana- 
mites waiting for their transports. Athletic programs were planned 
for the Chinese Labor Corps who worked in munition plants, road 
building and other construction. 

Throughout France were many camps filled with repatriated French 
and Russians, prisoners of war awaiting their discharge. They were 
stiff and apathetic as a result of inactivity or the excessive labor demanded 
in prison camps of Austria and Germany. The play instinct aroused, 
restored their physical vigor and relieved their mental depression; they 
became rejuvenated men. Even the wounded and convalescent were 
taught how to play the less violent games as an aid to physical rehabilita- 
tion. 

In many camps the American Athletic Director was appointed by 
the Commandant as the Official Director of Athletics; athletics were 
made obligatory certain hours of the day, at which time the entire unit, 
officers and men, was placed at the disposal of the American Director. 

During hostilities the Y physical directors devoted considerable time 
to the boys and girls in the villages. This service was of particular 
value to the French youth. 

The Inter-Allied Games offered another opportunity for the athletic 
directors. When the invitation went out, the French Army turned to 
the American athletic directors in the Foyer du Soldat for assistance 
in training its teams. Mr. Slater, Physical Director at the Y M C A 
College at Springfield, Mass., instituted a class for this purpose. Over 
80 per cent of the contestants he sent to Paris returned point 
winners. 

Recognition by French Army 

The recognition and praise which the Foyer du Soldat won from 
the French high officials is a very signal proof of the value of the 
Y M C A as a national asset in war and peace. In its beginning the 
Foyer was looked upon with disapproval and suspicion. Athletics in 
particular were considered as unnecessary and even foolish. It was 
believed that the bearded French soldier — the poilu — did not want to 
play; he had exercise enough and athletics would only tire him. The 
conception of athletics as an instrument in the development of sports- 
manship, goodwill, and as a general outlet for depressed spirits was 
new to the French. French officers, masters of strategy, know that the 
intangible thing called "morale" wins or loses many battles. They 
quickly grasped the incalculable value of the Y "fireside" and athletic 



58 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

field as a factor in ultimate victory. A large part of the Y athletic 
program has been permanently incorporated in the French military 
organization. 

Tribute of Premier Clemenceau 

Premier Clemenceau, who was in position to know the achievements 
of the Association during the War, paid it this tribute : 

"I am happy to bring to the work of the Foyer du Soldat, Union- 
Franco-Americaine, the sincere testimony of the gratitude of the 
French Army. Your foyers, established in an ever increasing number 
in the front line cantonments and in the formations of the interior, 
render to the soldiers services which are highly appreciated. Thanks 
to your organization our sons find everywhere a center of relaxation 
and recreation. 

"Just as far as possible, and with a touching delicacy and an un- 
tiring devotion, the Foyer du Soldat replaced the 'foyer' of the family. 
With all my heart I thank the YMCA for the precious aid which it 
has brought to the work which is being carried on by the armies of 
the Allies against the common enemy. 

"In contributing thus to sustain the morale of our armies, it pro- 
cures our victory and associates itself gloriously in the common task." 

Marshal Foch's Commendation of Work of YMCA 

Two days before the Armistice, Marshal Foch, Commander-in-Chief 
of the Allied Armies, paid this tribute to the contribution of the Y to 
the morale of his soldiers : 

"Among all the organizations generously aided by the International 
Committee of the Young Men's Christian. Association of North Amer- 
ica, the Foyer du Soldat particularly merits our gratitude. By the whole- 
some relaxation and well-being which the foyers furnish to the com- 
batants, the YMCA has largely contributed to the magnificent morale 
of the Allied Armies." 

General Petain Wrote on August 2, 1918: 

"It is impossible to exaggerate the eminent service rendered by the 
Foyer- du Soldat. They have not only procured for the combatants a 
little well-being, but they have also been a very valuable moral encour- 
agement." 

General Malterre, Commanding the District of Paris : 

He summed up in one sentence the central idea of the Foyer: "The 
Foyer is the connecting link between the front line trenches and the 
homes of the soldiers in the rear." 



WITH THE ARMIES OF OUR ALLIES 59 

Present and Future Status of the Foyer 

France is going forward, not backward. Recognizing the value of 
a general non-sectarian Association work for the young men of France, 
an organization has been established, based on the experiences, resources, 
personnel and prestige of the Foyer du Soldat, Union Franco-Ameri- 
caine. This new French society, linking the name of the Y M C A Foyer 
and the Y M C A Triangle, is acting as an independent organization to 
perpetuate the Y activities. The official transfer from a war basis was 
made in September, 1919. The number of foyers has been reduced to 
300. A few civilian foyers are in operation in the devastated areas. In 
this after-war work American secretaries are continuing to operate al- 
though the new organization is under French direction. 

2 — With the Chinese Labor Corps in France 

The bringing of the Orient into contact with Western civilization 
was one of the most remarkable phases of the world struggle. Early 
in 1915 the British began to recruit in China the organization which later 
came to be known throughout the war zone as the Chinese Labor Corps. 
Almost 200,000 Chinese coolies were brought to France in this service. 
They were housed in camps behind the lines, and engaged in road making 
and construction work in the fields, factories, and other war manu- 
facturing establishments in the large cities. 

The military purpose of bringing the Chinese to France was a crucial 
one to the Allies. It was to capitalize to the greatest degree the man power 
made available to the Allied cause by the control of the sea and by the 
wide sympathy among all civilized peoples for the fight which the Allied 
nations were making. The labor corps provided by the Chinese Republic 
consisted, strictly speaking, of common laborers enlisted for pay on a 
contract job as in any other mechanical undertaking; but with it went 
a spirit of cordial approval on the part of the Chinese Government. 

The constructive work of the Young Men's Christian Association 
in China was a fundamental factor in this whole enterprise. It was 
discovered very early in the War that the Y was the only organization 
that could undertake to surround the life of China's coolie soldiers with 
the humanizing and socializing influences necessary to maintain their 
morale under conditions so strange and abnormal, and in a country and 
a cause so far from home. The British Y enlarged this work as soon 
as the Chinese Labor Camps began to spring up rapidly behind combat 
zones. 

The Y's Cordial Entente with the Chinese 

The Y M C A has for years conducted exhaustive investigations into 
Chinese psychology and ethics. It has long been on the friendliest terms 



60 JVAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

with the Chinese. The temperament of the Chinese, even the lowest class, 
responds to mental amusement before it takes to games. So the Y 
established classes in France in the Chinese language with trained sec- 
retaries brought from China. An intensive course was given in the 
meaning of the War, the geography and social conditions of Europe, 
and especially in the significance of the environment which actually 
surrounded them. This led to classes for the better educated in Eng- 
lish, French, geography, history, mathematics, and a course of study 
which put within their reach something like that of the common schools in 
America. A Chinese weekly newspaper was published in Paris, edited 
by a Chinese Yale graduate. This education in national consciousness 
and citizenship proved a basis among all these Chinese volunteers for 
understanding our Western world. 

The transplanting of this army of Chinese citizen workers into the 
heart of European civilization opened a new era for creative welfare 
work. Every Chinese camp had not only its social and" educational 
centers, but a sports program which kept the men fit and active and 
taught many of them for the fir-st time the European mode of enjoying 
outdoors. Soccer football, volley ball, basketball, running, and even 
baseball were enthusiastically indulged in by the young and active 
Chinese. The Army organization had a compulsory physical program 
of its own, and men were given callisthenic drills, but the Y secretaries 
njade the most of Chinese games and Chinese forms of physical exer- 
cise from the start. The result was that kite flying, throwing the stone 
lock, lifting the double stone wheels, and the extremely dexterous 
battledore and shuttlecock game which in some parts of China is a 
national sport, brought out the native sport instinct spontaneously and 
without military insistence. 

140 Huts — 109 Secretaries — for the Chinese 

There were 140 w^ell equipped huts devoted exclusively to the 
Chinese Labor Corps, staffed by 109 secretaries, in addition to volun- 
teers serving as interpreters and technical assistants. The National 
War Work Council alone recruited and sent to France 90 secretaries, 
in connection with this work. Of these 62 were recruited in America, 
27 of whom were Chinese. Most of the Chinese were volunteer stu- 
dents from American colleges who went out for this service to their 
countrymen. The other 28 of the 90 recruits were enrolled in China 
where most of them had been trained in the YMCA or other mis- 
sion schools and colleges. 

Almost all the secretaries spoke Mandarin or classical Chinese, with 
the result that innumerable misunderstandings which arose in the camps 
through lack of understanding on the part of the officers of the Chinese 
temperament were settled through the medium of the Y. In many 



WITH THE ARMIES OF OUR ALLIES 61 

cases, for instance, the food was insufficient and not suited to the 
Chinese; no boiled water or tea was provided, whereas the Chinese 
drink only hot water or tea; Army doctors who did not understand 
Chinese, made mistakes in treatment and could not enforce their medical 
advice; and finally, there were continual misunderstandings as to wages, 
amount of time, work, and the enforcement of orders. All these things 
created disorder which even broke out in some camps in strikes and 
riots. 

China Contributes $1,400,000 — President's Endorsement 

One of the strongest elements in the whole work was the thorough 
and cordial cooperation of the Chinese Government. A committee of 
52 Chinese political and commercial leaders, associated with the Y, 
was able to organize a fund, starting with the modest aim of $100,000, 
which ultimately produced for the United War Work Campaign over 
$1,400,000. It is not too much to say that the fact that the Y was actively 
associated with this work immensely stimulated the interest of the 
Chinese. 

The President of China headed this fund with a contribution of 
$5000, and gave this characteristically sound Chinese testimonial to 
the work: "If an old man like me goes wrong, it doesn't matter much. 
If a middle-aged man goes wrong, that is a most serious loss, but if 
a young man goes wrong, he goes on destroying character all the rest 
of his life, and for that reason I believe we ought to sustain such a 
work as that being done by the Young Men's Christian Association." 

The work among the Chinese did not conclude with the service in 
France. As the transports bearing the returning coolies arrived at 
Chinese ports they were met by Christian workers, most of them belong- 
ing to the Y M C A. They were served in exactly the same way as 
American soldiers were served on returning from the battle front. Thus 
the quality of the service they had rendered to civilization was im- 
pressed upon them, and the constructive character of their enterprise 
was recognized as an asset to Chinese civilization and to the world under- 
standing which comes from such a mingling of nations in a common 
cause. The simplicity of the service, the constant attendance of the 
Y secretaries, and their appearance at the end of the journey as well 
as the beginning made an effect upon the loyal-minded Chinese which, 
it is said, they will never forget. 

3 — With the "Armies of Portugal in France 

Faithful to a treaty made with England several hundred years ago, 
Portugal did not declare neutrality in 1914. Casting her lot with the 
Allied Cause, she entered the War early in 1916. First seizing Ger- 



62 IV AR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

man ships in home and colonial ports, next with 40,000 troops helping 
the Belgians and British to drive the Germans from Africa, she finally 
sent 60,000 troops to the British front in France, suffered a hard pound- 
ing in the 1918 offensive, and sustained serious losses in the campaign in 
East Africa where the Portuguese fought for two and one-half years. 

The Chairman of the Portuguese National YMCA, Don Alfredo da 
Silva, noting the work with the British troops, in the Fall of 1917, asked 
Dr. Mott for American cooperation. The Portuguese were welcomed 
in the British Y huts, but language difficulties led the British Y to desire 
that Portuguese-speaking secretaries enter the field. This emergency 
was met in 1918 by an American Y man from Brazil, Mr. Myron A. 
Clark, who had begun Y work at the National University of Coimbra. 
It was inaugurated under a system of cooperation among the Inter- 
national Committee of America, the British and the Portuguese. About 
six huts and nine tents were furnished by the British; the canteens were 
supplied by them, but no great financial support could be given. Portu- 
guese financial aid could not be expected on account of the adverse 
religious sentiment widely diffused in Portugal. 

The Americans came to the rescue, appropriated funds, secured the 
personnel, and plunged into the work with the Portuguese Army. This 
work was conducted at Brest, at the front in Flanders and in the rest 
zone near the Channel ports. There was also a Paris Bureau to care 
for' Portuguese officers and men when passing through the city. During 
the six months preceding the Armistice, some 50,000 francs were ex- 
pended on the Portuguese. 

The personnel o£ twenty-three secretaries with the Portuguese 
Army was about half Americans, one or two British, some Portuguese 
and some Brazilians. All but one or two spoke Portuguese. Several 
of these Y workers were cited by the Portuguese Command, and two 
were made officers of the Order of Christ (Ordem de Cristo). 

In the great German drive on the Lys River front, April 9, 1918, 
the Portuguese were overwhelmed by superior numbers, losing 11,000 
men; but it was the preponderance of opinion that they were brave 
fighters. They were largely of two classes, either country boys with 
no culture, or from the large cities, Lisbon and Oporto. Most of them 
were illiterate. They looked to the Y in all difficulties. The Y men had 
to write the letters home for them. A very popular indoor game was 
human checkers. Large squares were marked on the floor of a hut, and the 
pieces were soldiers who moved according to the commands of two 
soldiers acting as captains. The Portuguese were delighted with this 
game. Soccer and baseball were attempted, and encouragement was 
given to other sports with a view to improving the morale of the men. 
When it is realized that these troops were in a strange land, surrounded 
by people speaking English and French, neither of which they under- 



WITH THE ARMIES OF OUR ALLIES 63 

stood, it will be realized how grateful they were for this welfare service 
by Portuguese-speaking American Y workers. After the Armistice and 
the commencement of demobilization, service was again rendered at 
Brest, and for a time in Portugal itself. Of all of the overseas work of the 
Y this small Portuguese effort of the Association displays the most ex- 
tensive cooperation, for America, Britain, Brazil and Portugal united in 
harmonious and successful achievement. 



4 — ^With the Italian Army 

Military strategists will find in Italy the most scientific evidence 
on which to weigh the value of morale in warfare. It was here that 
the first great victories of the World War were won by the heroic spirit 
of the Italians in the Alps, driving the Austrians in panic through the 
mountain passes to the point of surrender, only to become themselves the 
victims of a complete collapse in morale which for a time threatened the 
invasion and defeat of Italy, but again to recover in a last courageous 
stand. These reversals were largely the result of alternately rising and 
receding spirit, — of confidence and discouragement. Through these crises 
the Red Triangle marshaled its forces to help the Allies in the emerg- 
ency, the American Y M C A expending more than $3,395,000 with the 
Italian armies. It is a romantic story that can be but briefly outlined 
here. 

A captain in the Italian Army, having seen in Paris in 1917 some 
motion pictures of Y work with the British troops, believed that this 
was the influence needed to support the zealous spirit of the Italians 
in the Great Cause. On behalf of his country he appealed to the British 
Association. This organization, feeling that it could not spare men or 
money from the service of its own troops, referred the request to the 
American International Committee. As a result of negotiations a com- 
mission, which included two British secretaries and several Americans, 
proceeded from Paris to Italy. This was in September, 1917. 

.American Secretaries Arrive in Italy 

The Italian Army and Government entered into conference and a 
plan for the fullest cooperation was agreed upon. Six secretaries sailed 
from America November 17, 1917, by way of France, reaching Italy 
on January 15, 1918. Don Giovanni Minozzi, a chaplain in the Italian 
Army, was consulted and the city of Bologna was chosen as Y head- 
quarters. The recent catastrophe of Caporetto had made re-birth of 
the fine Italian morale imperative. There had been a pre-war Y located 
at Rome, but for obvious reasons it was unable to meet the exigency 
of the situation. The broad-minded, resourceful priest, Don Giovanni, 



64 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

had started a soldiers' hut movement (Casa del Soldato; plural Case 
del Soldato) at the beginning of hostilities. He had rented buildings, or 
rooms such as he could get as gathering places. 

At first these Case del Soldato were financed mostly by the Italian 
Government. In seven months the worthy priest had expended 180,000 
lire in about 140 buildings; later the American International Committee 
of the Y granted him 500,000 lire and other substantial assistance. No 
religious work was introduced, and the huts were conducted by soldier 
details. There was also a little welfare work done by the Waldensians (a 
small and ancient Protestant sect) which was later supplemented by the 
Americans. 

Italian Government and Army Form "Brotherhood" vvrith Y 

It was during the crisis in Italy that, after negotiations, a formal 
agreement was signed (February 8, 1918) by Lieut. General Vittorio 
Zaccone, Chief of Staff, representing the High Command, and Dr. 
John S. Nollen, General Secretary in Italy, representing the Inter- 
national Committee. 

The Y in Italy operated among the 3,000,000 soldiers under the 
title : "Works o£ Universal Brotherhood, American YMCA Sol- 
diers' Huts," with the triangle emblem, (Opera di Fratellanza Uni- 
versale Americana YMCA Case del Soldato.) From King Victor 
Emmanuel, Goverrmient officials, generals, and private soldiers came 
the most cordial cooperation and gratitude for the work accomplished. 

By the terms of the agreement there was to be no religious teach- 
ing, whether Protestant or Catholic. It was mutually understood that 
the initial "C" in YMCA stood for "Christian" in the very broadest 
sense, i. e. the spirit of brotherhood. There were to be no sales can- 
teens, but free distribution of sweets, smokes, etc., was allowed. The 
fullest cooperation by Army and Government was promised and accorded 
by the Italians. The Y was granted the privilege of buying supplies 
at Government rates from the Quartermaster; 300 tons of goods could 
be imported from America each month at Government expense for 
freight ; gasoline, oil and grease were furnished ; buildings were requisi- 
tioned at a nominal rental ;" transportation by rail for supplies and men 
was free; even the privilege of franking letters, telegrams and cables 
was granted to the Y. 

200 American Huts in Italy — 270 Secretaries 

April 5, 1918, saw the first American casa or hut at the front, in 
full operation at Meolo. There were a few "knock-down" huts in the 
mountains later, but practically all case were requisitioned buildings. 

During hostilities in Italy there were about 150 huts, one-third 



WiTti THE ARMIES OF OUR ALLIES 65 

of which were at the front. After the Armistice there were about 
200 American huts, of which approximately 75 were in the front 
areas. 

To meet Italian taste the huts were artistically decorated, homelike 
and comfortable. There was also city service at hospitals and con- 
valescent homes; trucks and launches with supplies and entertainment 
materials served scattered units. 

During the Summer of 1918 the American secretaries in Italy 
numbered less than a hundred. Later there were about 270, each hut 
secretary being assisted by a soldier detail of a non-commissioned 
officer and two privates. These details totaled over 500 soldiers at 
the height of the work. 

Service was rendered by the Americans to French, British and 
Czecho-Slovak troops in Italy. Activities included indoor games ; Italian 
and American out-door games, contests and mass play; lectures on sex 
hygiene, travel, etc. ; cinema and theatrical shows and concerts ; books 
and periodicals ; educational courses ; and free writing materials and 
welfare distribution in hut and hospital. 

How the Y men served at the front, largely in the cold mountain 
regions, without coal for fires, is one of the hero tales of the war. 
The most complete single victory of the World War resulted from the 
Italian offensive of October 24-November 3, 1918; 750,000 prisoners 
were taken, 6,000 cannon, many thousands of machine guns, much other 
booty and — Italia irredenta. 

The Y in Italy was in the campaign from start to finish. One 
secretary received the ribbon of the Italian Legion of Honor, and 
23 for conspicuous bravery under constant shell fire received the 
Italian War Cross. A total of $3,395,168.41 was expended by the 
American Y in this Italian work from early in 1918 until October 31, 
1919. 

Serving the American Troops in Italy 

We have seen how the Italian Government urgently requested and 
obtained Y M C A service for its soldiers. It also soon began to plead 
for military cooperation. About 4000 American troops finally came 
and did valuable combat work. Foreseeing the needs of these troops, 
the Y preceded them and was ready to serve upon their arrival. Dr. 
Wilson S. Naylor, an experienced secretary from the French front, 
reached Bologna with a party of ten on July 10, 1918, and was gladly 
welcomed as the advance agent of the American troops, the 332d U. S. 
Infantry, composed of Ohio boys, also a sanitary unit and some avi- 
ators. 



66 fFAR iVORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

The American infantry was at Vallegio and the aviators at Foggia 
before seeing service in the great October offensive. The Y also pro- 
vided for the American naval forces at Naples and Genoa. The organi- 
zation had friendly relations with the Italian Army Y, but unlike the 
latter was under control of the Paris Headquarters. Until they sailed 
for home the Y workers were constantly with the American soldiers 
at the front, and later with some of them in Dalmatia and Montenegro. 
At one time in the great battle around Mount Grappa, American Army 
trucks were too heavy for the pontoon bridges, and the Y lent five light 
trucks to bring food for the hungry American soldiers. Then they 
went back for their own chocolates and smokes for the boys. The 
332d Regiment and other American forces in Italy were loud in praise 
of the unremitting service they received from the YMCA. 



5 — With the Armies in Russia 

When America was entering the War in the first exuberance of her 
strength, Russia, spent and disintegrated through nearly three years of 
fearful national suffering and sacrifice, was approaching the end of her 
powers of resistance. Russia had put into the field the greatest fight- 
ing force the world had ever seen. Her moral reserve strength was 
ebbing rapidly in the early months of 1917. Out of the huge army of 
over 12,000,000 her losses in the end reached the colossal total of over 
9,100,000, including 1,700,000 killed, 4,950,000 wounded, and more than 
2,500,000 prisoners. Her remaining army was infected with disease, 
dismayed by its terrible defeats, and inoculated with the germs of 
revolution. 

The American YMCA, while America was still a neutral, under- 
took to throw its forces into this appalling situation at the first sign of 
the break. The Y during the War expended more than $5,878,378 in 
Russia. 

The "Miyak," the earliest Russian Y organization, which had been 
founded in 1900 by American Y leaders and grown to large proportions 
in Pfetrograd and Moscow, was working heroically to support the 
rapidly declining morale of the country. The American Y men were 
working with the Prisoners of War — the million or more Austrian and 
German prisoners who had been captured in the early years of the War. 



Dr. Mott with the American Mission to Russia 

Parallel with these initial steps came America's first diplomatic 
overtures to the new Russian government which had overthrown the 



WITH THE ARMIES OF OtJR ALLIES 6? 

Czar on March 15, 1917. President Wilson appointed John R. Mott, 
General Secretary of the International Committee, as a member of 
the American Mission headed by the Hon. Elihu Root, the former 
Secretary of State. This mission at once took hold constructively of 
the vast need in the Russian situation. It was officially introduced to 
the new Russian government in Petrograd on June 15, just three months 
after the revolution. 

Among its demands on America for support in a great crisis this 
government made one request in particular : It asked for 500 Amer- 
ican volunteers to go as Y secretaries. Immediately on Dr. Mott's 
return to America he sent out a call for men of "indefatigable reso- 
lution." The qualifications in leadership and technical training 
for the work were made high and amid the myriad other claims on 
American initiative, a group of 125 secretaries was gathered and sent as 
quickly as possible to Russia. From this time until all Russia crumbled 
in November, 1917, and even through the initial stages of the Bolshevik 
regime which followed, this group of Americans, in the midst of disorder 
and disintegration, took hold of the immediate services closest to hand. 

During this darkest period in modern history the Y M C A in its 
Russian work placed in the field, counting operations in Siberia and 
North Russia, more than 300 secretaries. 

Until the period of military intervention, the Y unit though small, 
was larger than the combined American diplomatic and consular corps, 
the military mission, the Committee of Public Information and Red Cross 
groups combined. It received from Kerensky a series of generous con- 
cessions which gave Russo-American cooperation its first practical demon- 
stration in the field. Authority was given to the Y to take over portable 
huts to the value of 1,500,000 rubles, far more than the Provisional 
Government was in a position to deliver, while a similar cooperation gave 
Y goods priority and free transportation on the railroads as well as cus- 
toms exemption at ports, exempted soldiers' letters written at the hut 
from postage fees, and provided requisitioned buildings in the large towns. 

General Kuropatkin Receives Y in Russian Army 

Early in January, 1917, General Kuropatkin became interested in the 
work being done for the prisoners, and granted the Y M C A permis- 
sion to start welfare work with one of his regiments. 

Kerensky coming to power six months later, gave his cordial ap- 
proval to this initiative and soon from the Russian posts on the Baltic, 
through Petrograd, Pskov, Minsk, Kiev, Jassy, Rostov, Odessa, and to 
Tiflis and far-away Tashkend, a line of Y huts sprang up from one end 
of the great Russian line to the other. A glance at the thousands of 



68 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

miles' sweep covered by this line will reveal its true magnitude. Seven- 
teen secretaries transferred from the Prisoners of War Work laid the 
foundation for this circuit. 

The orders of the Y men for equipment, hundreds of tons of biscuits 
and sugar, cocoa and soap tablets, as well as cinema and athletic equip- 
ment, were still undelivered and the great proportion of new volunteers 
were still en route when the final smash came with the Lenine-Trotsky 
coup d'etat (Nov. 9, 1917). 

Y men served through the street fighting in Moscow and the large 
cities and directed first aid. They made early approach to the Soviet 
government authorities, and secured from them an extension of prac- 
tically all the privileges granted by Kerensky. 

Armed with this authority, they established huts wherever the line 
was still holding. Right up to the conclusion of the Brest-Litovsk treaty 
they were putting up huts on the Northern Front, and at the extreme 
southern end of the line in the Caucasus, where the Russian-Armenian 
Army against the Turks was the last to yield to demoralization. Others 
joined the forces holding the Don Cossack region, while still others 
were sent to help amid the growing confusion in Kiev, Odessa, and the 
cities of South Russia. 

On August 3, 1918, President Wilson issued his proclamation, 
associating America in the anti-German campaigns of the Allies in' Russia 
which involved the recalling of the Y from Bolshevik territory in common 
with all other Americans. 



The Y in the Caucasus 

Wherever the American Y representative went, he was taken by 
the soldiers and by the people as a symbol of the generous friendship 
of the American people. Two Y men kept in operation the Caucasus 
relief measures that saved thousands of lives, using the plants and 
credit of the Armenian Relief Commission, whose workers had been 
compelled to withdraw. 

In Samara, a strong community service was organized which aided 
enormously in preserving normal city life during the succession of govern- 
ments. M'ore than 100,000 meals were served at a civil canteen station in 
the heart of the city, 1,100 refugees and 390 sick persons were directly 
aided and nearly 100 assistants and volunteer helpers were incorporated 
into the local organization. Moreover, over 40,000 children played on the 
Y playground, 1,200 Boy Scouts were trained and 120,000 soldiers passed 
through the military huts in this city alone. 



WITH THE ARMIES OF OUR ALLIES 69 

Down the Volga with the Red Triangle 

Welfare work is necessary to Russian civil life. The funda- 
mental need in Russia is aid to the peasant; and as soon as it estab- 
lished itself, the Red Triangle organization set up a floating exhibit 
of American agricultural methods to be sent down the Volga through the 
heart of Russia. It covered several hundred miles along both banks of 
this great river, reaching tens of thousands of people. Thirty-one Russian 
helpers aided the Y rural experts to demonstrate the films, models, 
charts, and personal talks on modern methods of farm organization 
and home keeping in rural America. 

The exchange of prisoners, following the Brest-Litovsk peace, 
brought thousands of liberated Russians, who for three years had lived 
on the border-line of starvation. Many of them died en route and the 
doctors pronounced 25 per cent of the remainder tubercular. The 
Y was called upon to attack the problem, and, according to the civil 
authorities, the service in Moscow, Petrograd, and the cities near the 
border, saved thousands of these soldiers who would have died soon 
after reaching home. The indispensable supplementary ration, which 
was the substantial welcome of the Y, consisted of milk, eggs, palatable 
bread, and other necessities, which were the height of luxury to these 
returned prisoners. On many days the food supplied by the Y was 
all these men got to eat. 



6 — With American Troops at the Arctic Sea 

We have followed the Triangle through the dark days in southern 
and central Russia; now let us follow it to the Arctic Sea. Here, too, 
the armies of the Allies were fighting their way in the World War. 
This campaign had as its main military object the break-up of possible 
German submarine bases on the Arctic Sea and the protection of sup- 
plies delivered to the Kerensky government at Archangel and Mur- 
mansk. 

In the rigorous task in North Russia, 65 American Y secretaries, 
with some 30 British Y secretaries and a number of auxiliaries of 
Russian and other nationalities, were given the main responsibility 
for welfare service among the troops under the exceptional conditions 
of an Arctic winter in a miscellaneous force comprising twelve 
nationalities. 

Here the Y M C A was the only substantial force conducting welfare 
work throughout this difficult operation. 



70 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

Fighting against the Elements at Archangel 

The number of the Allied troops reached 30,000 men at the maximum. 
About half were regular allied detachments, while the rest were Russian 
volunteer units. The American troops amounted to about 5000 men in 
the Archangel district, and 2500 along the Murmansk Railway. 

The larger Y work was based on Archangel, where the Allies main- 
tained their headquarters for fighting fronts on a narrowing circle 50 miles 
further south. After the first establishment of headquarters, which 
had again (as in France, England, and Italy) preceded the arrival of the 
American troops, secretaries were sent to the combat regions in the 
south, and by Christmas, 1918, every important base in the region had 
its Y hut and characteristic activities. When the town of Shenkursk 
was captured by the Bolsheviks in the middle of the Winter the Y hut, 
which had been a center in the midst of the fighting area, was burned 
with many other buildings. In other sections Y secretaries without 
permanent quarters went about with the troops on duty and distributed 
comforts to troops on the front line. Four American secretaries on this 
service were captured, one was awarded the French Croix de Guerre, 
three were given the Russian Cross of St. George, and others were men- 
tioned in American Army Orders for bravery under fire on the front 
line. 

With Reindeer Sled in the Far North 

An American Y hut in Russia had the honor of being placed at 
the apex of the narrow salient, pushed into the Bolshevik lines at 
Oust Podenga on the Vaga River, the farthest point reached by the 
Allies. 

This hut, directly across the river from enemy troops and closely 
camouflaged in consequence, was one of the finest field huts maintained 
in North Russia. On the Vologda Railroad a string of specially equipped 
box cars and canteens, with Y men in charge, served the outposts; 
while horse and reindeer sled service was given to other outlying points 
in the five or six campaigns in which the small American Army was 
bearing the heaviest attacks, braving the terrible arctic conditions 
and the exposed guerilla nature of the warfare. American casualties of 
over 400 w,ere due largely to exposure to the fearful cold. 

Testimony of Commanding Officer in North Russia 

At the time when this service was at its height Colonel Stewart, 
Commanding Officer of the American Forces in Northern Russia, 
reported after a visit to the front: "On behalf of the officers and 
enlisted men of my command I desire to express the appreciation we 



WITH THE ARMIES OF OUR ALLIES 71 

all feel of the excellent work done by your representatives in the ameliora- 
tion of the hardships of service of my troops. In my recent visit to 
various units of my command, aggregating twenty-eight days, during 
which, besides rail transportation, I covered 650 miles by sleigh, the 
work of your organization was constantly brought to my attention." 



7 — With the Armies in Siberia 

The Allied Expeditionary Army in Siberia assumed the proportions 
of a powerful force in August, 1918. It varied during the succeeding 
months from 60,000 to 80,000 along a front of almost 6000 miles. Presi- 
dent Wilson officially placed America in cooperation with this force 
(Aug. 3, 1918) and a few weeks later the 27th U. S. Infantry and other 
units arrived from Manila. Major General Graves took command of the 
American forces. The objectives were: the protection of the Vladivostok 
stores, the support of the Czechs, and the restoration of the Siberian 
Railroad. 

Eleven armies were on the Siberian front; the largest was the 
Japanese; here, also, were the British, French, Italian, Roumanian, 
Polish, and Russian troops, and last of all the splendid regiments of 
the Czecho-Slovak Army, which had found and fought their way across 
Russia. The campaign lasted more than one year amid the most unstable 
political and military conditions, and all the national forces except a 
strong group of Japanese have now been removed from Siberia. But 
the opportunity for service in this expedition was incalculable and the 
American Y adapted itself adequately to the abnormal and fluctuating 
conditions. 



At Vladivostok — Over 100 Y Men in 11 Armies 

The number of secretaries in Siberian work considerably passed 
the 100 mark; they were assisted by 200 Czech, Russian, Japanese, 
and others from various nationalities. The cost of the vsrork was over 
$2,000,000. The Y service was carried to every section of this enor- 
mous front and showed results in every one of the 11 national armies. 

Seventeen were allotted to the American Expeditionary Forces, 15 
served with the Czech Army, 20 in special Russian civil work, 10 admin- 
istered the manifold activities of the International Hut and other activities 
for the Allied units in Vladivostok, 12 were occupied in the lecture and 
cinema bureau and the rest were assigned to miscellaneous activities. The 
Association had 10 separate huts among the American forces and 14 iso- 
lated posts as an extension service from the hut centers. There were also 
canteen cars which traveled with the troops when they were entrained. 



72 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

Waiting for American Troops in the Far East 

Two months before the American troops arrived in Vladivostok, 
YMCA agencies in Tokio, Shanghai and Manila had searched the Far 
Eastern cities for welfare equipment and canteen supplies. From China 
and Japan, Americans were recruited for six months' terms as Y 
workers. When the American troops arrived, not only did they find 
the Y ready to serve them, but they found an organization which, small 
as it was, formed the largest group of Americans in Siberia at that 
time. The huts were all running full blast in and around Vladivostok 
and along the line of fighting east to west, by the following February. 
During this time a system had been built which supplied entertainment 
four times a week and which had put on tour a Russian orchestra and a 
Russian grand opera company. Special concert troupes were organized 
from the American units themselves, especially from American war- 
ships in Far Eastern waters. A circulating library was installed in 
each hut; sports, programs, canteens and a moving picture circuit were 
under way throughout the American forces. 

F 

Twelve Nationalities Crowd Y Huts in the Asiatic Expedition 

Over 300,000 soldiers and sailors attended the entertainments given 
in the main hut in Vladivostok alone, during the first six months of 
1919. The attendance at the hut for the month of June (1919) was 
60,000; over 30 different nationalities were represented; 30,000 letters 
were mailed ; 45,000 soldiers were served with light meals at the buffet. 
There were 50 moving picture shows during the month; 600 men were 
given sleeping accommodations. Such is a small section of the work 
organized at the International Hut. This is but an indication of a 
similar work carried on at Harbin on the Chinese Eastern Railroad, and at 
Khabarovsk which was the base of operations along the Ussuri and Amur 
rivers. Other Headquarters along the Siberian Railroad were main- 
tained in a chain of cities from Harbin all the way to the Russian Head- 
quarters at Omsk, in which something like a regular community service 
program with fourfold activities in the educational, physical, recreational 
and spiritual fields was conducted for the vast fluctuating expeditions of 
the Allied forces. 

Transport Difficulties on Japan Sea -^ 

The difficulties which had to be overcome may be assumed from 
the generally unsystematic character of the Siberian Expedition as a 
whole. At one time— in March, 1919— the YMCA had over $500,000 
tied up in equipment supplies, cinema films and machines, athletic goods, 
canteen supplies, etc., which had been on their way to Siberia since the 
Autumn of 1918, Two shipments from America, one via Panama and 



WITH THE ARMIES OF OUR ALLIES 73 

the other via the Cape, were held up in Japan through the transport jam 
across the Japan Sea. Other shipments ran aground on reefs off Japan. 
The Association had to buy cargo space whenever it could 
be obtained from the merchant marine and to purchase widely through- 
out the Far East ; even then, supplies were short untjl well in the Spring 
of 1919. They were sold throughout the canteens at cost, far below 
prevailing Siberian prices. 

Barracks along the Trans-Siberian Railway 

The huts were mostly old Russian barracks, heated by huge cylindri- 
cal Russian stoves. In each a stage was constructed and electric 
lighting installed. The club cars, maintained for the soldiers along the 
Eastern Section of the Trans-Siberian Railroad, were rebuilt box-cars, 
equipped with movies, canteen, literature, writing tables and the like, 
and went with the troops, bearing the Red Triangle wherever they 
were ordered. As elsewhere in the War, the Association saved Amer- 
ican soldiers in Siberia many thousands of dollars, by conducting a 
money exchange which standardized the wildly fluctuating currencies 
of the region, and remitted funds to America without charge. The 
sums involved in exchange operations alone included some fifteen dif- 
ferent currencies and amounted to upward of $10,000 a month. 

Homeric Epic of the Czechs Crossing Siberia 

The most dramatic event in the Far Eastern campaign is that of 
the Czecho-Slovak Army Corps. These Czechs, most of them ex-prison- 
ers of war from the Austrian Army, had fought in Kerensky's last 
offensive, the only unit on the Russian side displaying the ardor which 
wins victory. During the Winter of 1917-1918, they held their organi- 
zation together and brought it up to a total strength of 40,000 (which 
later was recruited to 60,000 or more) superbly trained men. They 
started in May, 1918, to travel by train across Russia and Siberia for 
transport across the Pacific and Atlantic and for service on the West 
Front. They filled 60 trains and attached to each regimental group 
there was at least one Y car. The Y men with the expedition included 
a number returning to America from the Russian service, but several 
had been with the Czecho-Slovaks from the beginning. They were 
called "uncles" in honor of their practical demonstration of the sympathy 
which signified to the Czechs the ties of a blood relative. They bought 
and manufactured supplies for the canteen cars wherever they could, 
and throughout the expedition maintained a resourceful service for 
the soldiers and conducted local welfare work whenever the train stopped 
long enough at any one point along the route. 

This expedition was attacked by Bolsheviki in June and part of it 



74 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

cut off from Siberia; 15,000 men got through but the remaining 25,000 
started on a long campaign which lasted the greater part of the next 
year. This campaign was the chief reason for American intervention. 
One detachment after another of the Czech Army fought its way through 
to junction with other Czech-Allied units, all served by Y secretaries. 

Fifteen or more Y secretaries were attached to the Czech Army 
fighting as an Allied force along the Trans-Siberian Railroad. This 
army covered an enormous area, stretching west as far as Ufa and 
Samara in European Russia. The fifteen clubs maintained for this 
army by the Y were scattered along 1800 miles of railroad, while to 
serve the vast intervening stretches, eighteen canteen cars, like the 
club cars in the Far East, were attached from time to time to the 60 
trains controlled by the Czech staff. 

Several Y secretaries went with the Czechs on the last stage of their 
around-the-world trip to Prague, where they received a fitting share 
in the welcome given to this Homeric expedition on its home-coming. 
One of the Y canteen cars, which made the trip across Siberia, was 
brought back to Bohemia with the army. It has been proposed that it be 
erected in Prague as a public memorial to American constancy and service. 

8 — With the Armies in the Far East 

The armies of many lands operated from the Vladivostok base where 
the Red Triangle was the sign of comradery. It served with the Polish 
Legion which at one time enrolled 12,000 soldiers, mostly ex-prisoners 
of war. An experienced Polish-speaking secretary was attached to the 
Legion and served with it until it was finally withdrawn via Vladi- 
vostok. For the Roumanians, near Irkutsk, a special hut was opened 
under the supervision of an American secretary which was continued 
until the regiment evacuated the city. Serbian units at Cheliabinsk, 
which numbered 7000 men, appealed for an American secretary to 
take charge of their welfare work and intermittent service was ren- 
dered. Italian troops, located in Vladivostok, also had a special hut 
in their barracks, maintained by the Americans. A canteen car was 
maintained for the Italian companies in the field, and a similar car was 
equipped, stocked and furnished to the French troops in the field, where 
it was administered by French secretaries. 

At Vladivostok a weekly movie or musicale was furnished to the 
French Aviation Battalion in their barracks. China also had troops 
in the Siberian Expeditionary Forces and a Y club and a canteen car 
were established and maintained for them with one American secretary 
and three Chinese secretaries from the Chinese National YMCA in 
charge. The Japanese Y was the chief welfare agency among the 50,000 
troops of that nation stationed along the Manchurian and Amur frontiers. 



With the armies of our allies 75 

There was cordial cooperation at all times with the Japanese workers, but 
the principal American service to the Japanese was in the International 
Hut at Vladivostok. This was a rendezvous for Japanese soldiers and 
sailors at all times and as many as 500 visited the hut in one afternoon. A 
canteen car furnished to the British troops operating near Ekaterinen- 
berg in the Urals was presided over by the Regimental Chaplain. Y secre- 
taries made frequent visits to this car and established a hearty cooperation 
with the British unit. 

Serving the Returned Prisoners from Germany 

Probably the service which carried with it the most humane and 
merciful assistance to Russians was the relief accorded to prisoners 
of war returning from Austria and Germany, which is outlined in a 
following chapter. These men were mostly in need of food and 
clothing. Neither the Russian authorities nor the Red Cross 
were in*a position to take up the work at once; therefore the YM C A 
filled the breach and began to serve tea, sugar, and crackers to the 
men as they came through the city then being administered, Cheliabinsk. 
Boots, stockings, caps, shirts, and clothes were purchased in quantities 
and given to the most needy. The British Quartermaster Department 
turned over large supplies of clothing and blankets and these were 
added to the supplies distributed. Over 61,000 destitute Russian sol- 
diers met as their first friend in their homeland a Y secretary. Later on 
the American Red Cross took over the work, but because of its own 
shortage of personnel, requested that Y M C A secretaries should continue 
to serve as its agents at the points already organized. 

Invaluable Aid of Army and Navy in the Far East 

Complete cooperation was given at all times by the Commanders 
of the American forces in the Far East. Major General Graves, in 
command of the American military forces, attacked the problem of 
transportation, from which the Y was particularly suffering in the spring 
of 1919. By authorizing shipments of 76 cubic tons of Y material from 
America by army transports to Siberia, which were permitted entry, 
and transportation to Vladivostok and beyond by the Russian government, 
he finally broke up the transportation block from which the Y had suffered 
and put the work on a new basis. 

Rear Admiral Knight, Commanding Naval Forces in the Far East 

As Senior American Officer, as well as the Senior Official of the Allies 
until October, 1918, Rear Admiral Knight was the medium of communica- 
tion with the outside world. His testimony at the conclusion of his ad- 
ministration is as follows : 



76 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

"I shall always think o£ the work of the YMCA as I saw it in 
Siberia, as one of the great and beneficent achievements in the face 
of many difficulties — work carried forward with an admirable spirit 
of enthusiastic service by a group of loyal, self-sacrificing and efficient 
men." 

9 — With the Armies in Greece 

The vast operations outlined in the foregoing pages were taking 
place simultaneously with the momentous events on the battlegrounds 
not only of Western Europe but along the countries of the Mediter- 
ranean and the Near East. Entering the War in 1916, Greece had 
immediately mobilized her troops. These gallant Greeks became the pivot 
of the Balkan offensive which overwhelmed Bulgaria in 1918 and marked 
the beginning of Germany's end. But the Greek Army (which lost during 
the war 100,000 men) was staggering under the strain. Greece .was im- 
poverished; it was war-weary. Some of its soldiers had been mobilized 
seven years. Their pay was five cents a day. Their barracks were 
unheated, unlighted, insect-infested, evil-smelling, with earthen floors 
on which the men often slept without blankets. The only places of 
recreation and rest were the coffee shops where they were unscrupu- 
lously exploited. 

American Y Men Meet Greek Statesmen 

On August 6, 1918, Harvey A. Henderson, an American business 
man who had spent a year in Greece as a student, and knew the lan- 
guage, arrived in Athens with a commission from the American YMCA 
to establish service for the Greek Army. He was accompanied by 
Richard Boardman. Reporting to the American Minister, Mr. Garrett 
Droppers, these two American Y men were at once introduced to Eleu- 
therios Venizelos, President of the Greek Council. He welcomed them 
cordially and agreed to act as Honorary President of a Committee to 
cooperate in establishing Y work throughout the country. By his influ- 
ence a strong committee representing the highest military, ecclesiastical, 
and business leadership of Greece was fonned. Cooperative relations 
were established with an organization of women known as "The Sol- 
diers' Sisters," and with the Alumni Association of Robert College. 

Premier Venizelos Aids Y Work 

The aid of Venizelos, the great Greek statesman who was holding 
the Government intact, made prompt activity possible. Armed with let- 
ters of introduction from him to the commanding offlcers, the two Amer- 
ican secretaries proceeded to Saloniki where the greatest number of 



WITH THE ARMIES OF OUR ALLIES 77 

troops were centered. Governor General Adossides responded liberally, 
immediately placing at their disposal, rent free, a large hall owned by 
the Government, where a canteen was established. A theater adjoining 
this hall was hired later and motion pictures given. By September 1, 
1918, three huts were in operation, one in the Toumba Camp, three 
miles outside the city, and another at the Struma Front, which, how- 
ever, was shortly after abandoned. 

Until the middle of November, 1918, the Greek work was done 
in association with the Foyer du Soldat, under direct supervision of 
the Count de Chavannes, Director of the French work. After Novem- 
ber 12, it was under the direct supervision of Mr. Henderson as repre- 
sentative of the American Y M C A. 

The work in Greece developed rapidly ; nine Y huts were in opera- 
tion in January, 1919, of which two were in Athens. 

Inevitably at first, attention was concentrated on the canteen. The 
Greek soldiers needed desperately a place to buy cheaply the little 
comforts, to sit and rest, or read. A cup of coffee at the cost of a 
cent, a chance to write letters on freely given stationery, a few cigarets, 
and an occasional cinema show made an appeal which could not be 
resisted. Owing to the exploitation of which they were the victims, 
these soldiers were at first suspicious. But as they discovered that the 
•'Christian Brotherhood of Young Men," as the Association was called 
in Greek, was engaged in unselfish, brotherly service, their response 
was enthusiastic. 

Brotherhood Appeals to Greek Ideals 

A wonderful opportunity for the Y and for the American people 
opened in Greece. The Y M C A appeals to the philosophy of Greek 
antecedents. It is a country of ideals — a seat of the early Christian 
Church. The knowledge of such men as President Venizelos of the Y's 
work with the American and Allied Armies, and the observation of its 
civilian work in America by leaders of the Greek Church, including the 
Archimandrite and the Metropolitan Bishop of Athens, led them to expect 
great results from the influence of the Association upon the life of 
Greece. 

Fifteen Foremost Greeks Petition the Y 

A petition was sent in April, 1919, by fifteen of the foremost leaders 
of Greece, asking for extension of the work, from which the following 
is quoted: 

"The traditions of the Y M C A, combined with the humanitarianism 
of the American people, will greatly contribute to the establishment of 
solid traditions in our country, which has absolute need — now when 



78 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

our national restoration is about to be achieved — to begin its internal 
reorganization. And to the YMCA we attribute the greatest influence 
in effecting the development of all classes upon which the happiness 
of any state depends. We therefore beg you to give us your moral 
assistance and be patient, because you must not forget that Greece still 
bears the marks of having lived for many centuries under the most 
ignoble and servile of yokes. But the Greek people are intelligent and 
easily moulded, and all that they need is a training inspired by the tra- 
ditions of the Y M C A." 

Venizelos Erects Y Hut at His Own Expense 

The support given by President Venizelos was more than official. 
Learning of the great difficulty of securing suitable quarters at the 
Toumba Camp (Saloniki had been almost entirely burned three years 
before) he ordered a brick building, costing 40,000 drachmas (about 
$7000) erected at his own expense. As the work has developed, expand- 
ing beyond the canteen to athletic, entertainment and educational activi- 
ties, official countenance has been extraordinary. In February, 1920, 
A. E. Marriott, sent out as Athletic Director, reported that he had been 
appointed coach of the Olympic Team. An appropriation of 300,000 
drachmas ($54,000) has been made for the building of a new athletic 
school, the Stadium to be used pending its erection. The Ministry of 
Education has arranged for the gymnastic instructors of schools, col- 
leges and universities to be instructed by the Y Athletic Director, and 
a well developed Boy Scout movement has sought his assistance. 

King Alexander Issues Royal Decree 

On March 24, King Alexander, after giving audience to the YMCA 
representative, issued a royal decree creating a National Military Depart- 
ment of Athletics with 50 officers, and named Mr. Marriott Director 
of Athletics for the Greek Army. 

The educational opportunity is great. Strange as it may seem, the 
rate of illiteracy in Greece is not far from 60 per cent. Illiterate sol- 
diers are being required to attend educational classes arranged especially 
for them. Many young men now returning to civilian life have had 
nine years of continuous army service, with its severing of home ties and 
cutting off of all educational advantages. 

Archbishop of Athens Seeks Spirit of America 

The Archbishop of Athens, in a published interview, recently said: 
"It is therefore our duty, in the first place, to dispel the erroneous 
opinions of foreigners regarding us, and in the second place to improve 
our religious life, teaching the people the essence of the orthodox 



WITH THE ARMIES OF OUR ALLIES 79 

faith, cleansing our Church's life of the rust engendered by the slavery 
and ignorance of the past, and ridding it of its load of dead forms, 
in order that our Church's life-giving spirit may shine forth anew. I 
cherish the belief that we already stand on the threshold of this new 
religious life." 

In every possible way the assistance and cooperation of the Y M C A 
in this religious need of Greece has been invited and sought, and its 
contribution already made has been gratefully recognized. The Amer- 
ican people have a profound interest in -the Near East. Not only did 
the late war have its beginning in a Balkan State, but the peace of 
Europe for years to come will be menaced by those peoples set free 
to struggle slowly upward toward self-realization. By its happy introduc- 
tion into Greece the Y is already in a strategic position to exercise a 
powerful influence upon all the neighboring states, and to be the chan- 
nel by which the helpful, steadying, uplifting spirit of America may 
reach these peoples with guidance, courage and faith. 



10 — With the Armies in Egypt, Palestine, 
and the Dardanelles 

Although the World War was fought chiefly in Western Europe, yet 
a vital aspect of the whole struggle took place in the Eastern Mediter- 
ranean. In her dream of world domination, part of Germany's task was 
to hold the Allies in the West while Turkey gained control of Egypt, the 
Suez Canal, the Bagdad Railway and, at last, India. The German 
scheme had been well laid and was not without promise of fulfilment. 
There were in Egypt in 1914 only 6000 British troops against an aggregate 
population of 13,000,000, of which 12,000,000 were Mohammedans, 
among whom reactionary, anti-Christian, and anti-British sentiments were 
rife. German and Turkish propaganda had been at work; only a spark 
was needed to start the conflagration. Germany had placed her hopes on 
a holy war, when 250,000,000 of the Faithful would go forth, kill 
Christians everywhere and thus save their own souls. The Senussi, a 
fanatical tribe of Dervishes who live in the Western Desert and Tripoli, 
did indeed rise, 60,000 strong. The Turks pressed on the approaches of 
the Suez Canal, but the population of Egypt remained indifferent, and 
India raised over 2,000,000 men to fight for the Empire. The holy war 
was declared, and it was only the providential and far-seeing wisdom 
of the British Colonial policy that prevented the conflagration. 

Red Triangle at Birthplace of Civilization 

Such was the situation in Egypt at the outbreak of the War, when 
the Red Triangle carried its mission to the oldest civilization on the earth 



80 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

and on to the birthplace of Christian civiHzation. At the outbreak of the 
War the YMCA was organized in Egypt in a small way, absolutely 
international and cosmopolitan in character. It had a little hostel in 
Cairo for the British and Africans and fairly extensive quarters in the 
city for general purposes. The Chief Secretary, Mr. W. Jessop, was in 
the employ of the International Committee. Otherwise the work was 
more or less self-supporting. An advisory committee represented the 
various communities: Armenians, Syrians, Egyptians, French, Itahans, 
and British. The important work in Egypt and the Dardanelles was 
conducted by the Enghsh, Australian, and New Zealand Associations, with 
the Americans extending their cooperation. 

A vast influx of troops flooded the country. Several units of the 
Army of Occupation were transferred to the front and troops from 
India took their places. In the latter part of September, 1914, 20,000 
territorials reached Egypt and most of them were stationed m Cairo. 
The barracks accommodated all but about 5000 who were encamped in the 
desert near Heliopolis. These men had no place to go outside their own 
tents. Within four days the YMCA erected a large marquee which 
was filled with men seated on the ground writing letters, before tables 
and benches could be procured. A circulating library of 1000 volumes 
was collected, books and magazines were made available, games were 
loaned to the men, and a piano was installed. A post office was carried 
on in this tent from which 1500 to 2000 letters were posted daily. 

This emergency campaign was a daring undertaking as the regular 
Association forces at this time consisted of one secretary, and he was 
responsible for the local branch as well as the camp work. It was made 
possible only by the loyal cooperation of the Egypt General Mission, 
the Central Military Staff, the American Mission and civilians. The 
treasury was empty during the first month; £ (Egyptian) 120 was con- 
tributed in Cairo, later £ (E) 40 came from England in response to a 
letter written for the Lancashire papers by a Lancashire woman resident 
in Cairo. Then a grant was made to Egypt by the English National 
Council, and money was received from America, New Zealand, and other 
sources. Supplies were hurried to the front from English civilians, the 
Australian National Committee, New Zealand National Committee, Indian 
National Council, and the International Committee in New York. 

Australian Troops Encamped along the Nile 

Fresh troops, 40,000 strong, had arrived and encamped under canvas 
in the vicinity of Heliopolis by January, 1915. Four Australian secre- 
taries arrived with this contingent. Australian groups of hospitals were 
founded at Heliopolis, and the Y worked among the sick and wounded as 
they began to pass in from the front. It soon became apparent that some- 
thing should be done to relieve the condition in the cities of Cairo and 



WITH THE ARMIES OT OUR ALLIES 81 

Alexandria. It must be remembered that Alexandria is essentially a cos- 
mopolitan city, Levantine rather than Egyptian, that Port Said is still 
more cosmopolitan, while Cairo is essentially Egyptian. The bulk of the 
troops were quartered near Cairo ; these vigorous men arriving from 
frontier countries where external discipline is unknown, now for the 
first time came in contact with semi-Oriental conditions. At Alexan- 
dria the Army granted a site near the Quay ; the Y M C A found that 
a suitable building could be erected for £ (E) 1000, and appealed to 
the Red Cross for cooperation on the ground that the building would 
also be used for convalescents. The British Red Cross made a grant 
of i250, the Australian Red Cross £500, and the remaining i250 
was raised by the Y M C A. The building was opened on September 
11, 1915, by the High Commissioner for Egypt. 

Soldiers' Club in Cairo 

The problem in Cairo developed on a large scale. In the center of the 
city is a sort of public park called the "Esbekieh Gardens." In this park 
was an open air theater called the "Skating Theater" with an asphalt 
rink or auditorium, and in its vicinity was a small restaurant. The Y 
General Secretary started negotiations to secure this place. After many 
difficulties the lease was secured, and on August 17, 1915, it was opened 
under the name of the Soldiers' Recreation Club. The slogan was 
"something doing every night." 

Upon a gift of £ (E) 2,000 from America, a magnificent outdoor 
swimming pool, 90 feet long by 35 feet broad and 9 feet deep, was 
constructed in Cairo. 

Cinema, concerts, plays, billiards, roller-skating, swimming and a 
variety of games made this point the gathering place in Cairo. The club 
was presided over by English ladies; its fame spread far and wide, so 
much that a number of "Esbekiehs" were started throughout the East. 

"Ahzac Hotel" in Tel-el-Kebir 

• 

The concentration camp at Tel-el-Kebir grew rapidly; and opera- 
tions on the canal increased in 1915 until it became necessary to open 
a club in that city. A large building owned by the Cairo Bourse was 
secured by the Australians and operated as the Anzac Hotel. This was 
managed from its inception by two Y M C A secretaries. At first the 
Club was owned and managed by the Australians, but when these 
troops were removed to France, the Y took it over and administered it. 

Y Huts on Front Line in the Dardanelles 

The troops left Egypt for the Dardanelles in March, 1915. The 
landing was effected under fire on April 25. Transports were crowded, — 



82 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

the sick and wounded began to reach Cairo three days later. The mili- 
tary base was on the island of Imbros, a short distance from Gallipoli. 
Here the YMCA established its base of supplies for the fighting line 
in August. A marquee was erected and a contract placed for the entire 
output of a bakery. Goods were transported from the island to the pen- 
insula on government trawlers. Two huts were established on the lines, 
one at Anzac and the other at Cape Helles. In the latter place the beach 
was within artillery range. Quarters were established in three marquees 
lashed together in the form of a T ; a canteen was operated, and the 
soldiers gathered to write messages home and to hear the home news. 
On December 10, 1915, the marquee forming the stroke of the T was 
destroyed by an eight inch shell. 

In the fighting at Anzac the beach itself was within rifle range; 
there was no shelter except in the dugouts- About 40,000 Australians 
were in the lines. The Y hut was built in the side of a hill, where 
thousands of men were served; queues sometimes 1000 men long 
assembled every day. 

A tent was placed near the hut to serve as a writing room ; it was 
so exposed to shell fire that it was soon abandoned, the men preferring 
the safety of their dugouts. The scarcity of water caused much difficulty. 
Each man was allowed only a gallon per day, and if the sea was rough 
did not get this, as fresh water had to be transported to the peninsula 
by trawlers. The coffee bar frequently had to shut down because there 
was no water. Under the terrible strain of trench warfare the soldiers 
craved something to give their monotonous food a difl^erent taste, — 
pickles, Worcestershire Sauce, something pungent to take away the 
awful taste that a soldier gets in the midst of hourly death and decay. 
Biscuits from the bakery at Imbros were distributed in fairly large 
quantities ; chocolate, tea, cofifee, fruit, vegetables and tobacco were 
sent over as they could be procured. The touching eagerness with 
which these were welcomed was evidenced by the long lines of men 
always waiting when the stores were distributed. Just as the evacu- 
ation was taking place a ship from' England arrived with £ (E) 15,000 
worth of stores for the YMCA. They arrived too late to be of 
service and were reshipped to Egypt. 

With the Troops at the Suez Canal 

The troops returned from the Dardanelles in 1916. As they poured 
into Egypt some of the difificulties of the first landing were repeated. 
Men who had spent months in the trenches in Gallipoli were broken in 
spirit. The Y activities were pushed as far as possible to offset this 
tendency. The Suez Canal was crossed, outposts were pushed into the 
desert to protect the Canal, and an advance was made in the direction of 



WITH THE ARMIES OF OUR ALLIES 83 

Romassi, about 30 miles from Kantara. The Y followed these opera- 
tions closely. 

More than 40 centers were established along the Suez Canal and 
the coast from Suez to Mersa Matruh. Each hut was equipped with 
a canteen and supplies furnished as rapidly as possible. Transport 
again was the greatest difficulty. Trucks were sent daily from 
Cairo and at times a string of a hundred camels could be seen, each 
with the familiar sign of the Red Triangle on its back. 

Across the Sudan — to Khartum 

There is always in the Sudan a certain number of English garrison 
troops, and they are usually distributed in four places — at Khartum, at 
Atbara, at Port Sudan, and at Gebel — and provision had to be made by 
the Y M C A for the reasonable social wants of these men. Headquarters 
were established at Khartum, the nearest "out station" being 200 miles 
away, and the furthest 300 miles from that point. It was a question of 
distance rather than numbers. Thanks to the traveling facilities offered 
by the Sudan Government and the courtesy of the military authori- 
ties, the Y was able to solve the problem. By traveling a thousand 
miles a month the Y secretary was able to supervise the work at all 
points established. Soldier orderlies carried on the work in each place 
during his absences. Four centers were established : Khartum, Atbara, 
Port Sudan and Gebel in the Red Sea hills. The chief duty of the Y 
was to provide shelter from the sun, cold acidulous drinks to quench 
the desert thirst, a variety of foods to stimulate appetites dulled by 
monotonous fare, and entertainment to revive drooping spirits. 

At the Oases of the Desert — to Tripoli 

It will be remembered that in 1915 the Senussi — a Mohammedan tribe 
living in the Western Desert and Tripoli — were militant. Accordingly 
small detached units were placed in the oases, and men stationed in the 
towns of Upper Egypt. The enemy was completely defeated and dis- 
persed in November, 1915. The occupation was limited to Sollam, 
Mersa Matruh, Shenka, and Siwa. 

About 150 miles west of Alexandria, on the shores of the Mediter- 
ranean, and among the sands of the Lybian Desert, lies Mersa Matruh 
where there is a British garrison. The nearest city is over a hundred 
miles away, wood costs $25 a cord, and it costs 15 cents a pint to con- 
dense fresh from sea water. For the soldier there is nothing visible but 
the sea before him, the desert behind him, and above a pitiless sun. The 
mail comes only once a week, and not always then. No wonder that each 
successive garrison sinks into a state of dull apathy. It is here that the 
Y M C A is the Good Samaritan ; — more than that, it is home. The Y is 



84 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

justly proud of the fact that only one man has gone mad from the dreari- 
ness of this desert life. Potent factors in relieving this dreariness are 
cinema films, mostly comic, and gramophone records, mostly ragtime. 
The canteen is the popular resort; it is near the beach and the men drop 
in after bathing for cocoa and biscuits, lemonade or milk, chocolate or 
cigarets. How great is the moral support of these material things cannot 
be overestimated. All over Egypt the main object was to draw the men 
out of themselves, and all work was directed to this result. 

One of the Y secretaries toured the camps along the coast from 
Alexandria to the Tripoli frontier. He made no addresses, sold no 
refreshments, distributed no gifts, yet everywhere he brought good 
cheer and enjoyment. How was this done? Charlie Chaplin did most 
of it, and other film favorites did the rest. A compact portable projector, 
a storage battery for light and some 12,000 feet of film comprised the 
means. 

The camps on the desert were 75, 100, and 400 miles distant from 
the nearest daily paper, or shop window, or white women and chil- 
dren. The troops had been out there from six months to a year. 

These soldiers had whistled themselves into unpopularity with popular 
airs. There was nothing new to do, nothing new to see. They had never 
thought to see a moving picture show way out in the desert. Probably 
not since they were children did they find such hearty enjoyment in such 
simple entertainment. With laughter they shook off their load of de- 
pression. 

Restoring Disabled Soldiers in Egypt 

As the War progressed the service of the YMCA expanded into 
relative proportions along all the warring fronts. The introduction 
into Egypt of a scientific plan for rehabilitating the wounded, also estab- 
lished in other countries, proved to be a great constructive service. Dr. 
Gilbert Deaver, M. D., B. P. E., of the University of Pennsylvania, and 
also a graduate of Physical Education in the Springfield YMCA College 
in Massachusetts,- volunteered and soon reached Egypt. He started his 
work at the Esbekieh Gardens. It attracted considerable attention, and 
he was put at the disposal of the medical authorities. The problem was 
one of conditioning convalescents become soft from long inaction, and the 
re-education of joints and muscles stiiTened from wounds and disease. 
This American scientist adopted for this work calisthenic drills such as 
the Swedish and Roberts systems, modifying them to meet the needs. 
These drills were given to selected classes and were set to music. The 
immediate and permanent benefit was remarkable and has received con- 
siderable attention from medical authorities throughout the armies. It is 
estimated that 150,000 men passed through this system of restoration. 



WITH THE ARMIES OF OUR ALLIES 85 

11 — With the Victorious Army at the Capture 
of Jerusalem 

The dream of the ages, the Christian reconquest of the Holy 
Land, the glorious mirage of four centuries of Crusades, was finally 
accomplished in the last year of the War. 

The British Army in Egypt, reinforced from India and Australia, 
fully recovered from the setback at Gallipoli, and freed from local dis- 
turbances along the Suez Canal and in the Sudan, embarked on this great 
campaign in the Fall of 1917. The Turks in the south of Palestine were 
routed by the end of September and on October 31, 1917, Beersheba, 
the first of a long list of holy places, was occupied. The Army pushed 
on, and late in November, Jerusalem, the spiritual capital of the Christian 
world, which had been held for 673 years by the Turks, was besieged, 
and taken on December 8. On December 11, General Allenby, the 
Allied Commander, entered the Jaffa Gate on foot, after the noble 
example of the Crusaders. The Y M C A (an international group under 
British auspices, assisted by American money and men) had by this time 
perfected its organization to the extent, in spite of a shortage of per- 
sonnel, that one representative accompanied each brigade. 

Sanitary conditions in Jerusalem were appalling. Cesspools, centuries 
old, were overflowing and contaminating the cisterns, then Jerusalem's 
only water supply. The streets were never cleaned. Disease was 
rampant. An outbreak of fever was threatened. Something had to be 
done or else the city would have to be evacuated. The Senior Medical 
Officer turned to the Y M C A for aid. Mr. Jessop, who was in Jerusalem 
at the time, immediately went to Cairo, obtained an engine and five sealed 
carts and a hose cart, and shipped them to Jerusalem, thus supplying the 
machinery for cleaning up the city for the first time in centuries. 

In the great drive of September 20, the first conquest of which was the 
immortal little town of Nazareth, the Y served the troops directly behind 
the first line. It took care especially of the lightly wounded "walking 
cases" in a series of hospital marquees, where men passing to the rear 
were given hot drinks, food and cigarets. Competent military orderlies 
were assigned to the Y service wherever the active personnel could not be 
supplied, and transport was provided by the Army which kept Y supplies 
thoroughly distributed even in the headlong advance of this final victori- 
ous drive. After a great battle on the historic ground of Armageddon, 
Damascus was won on October 1, and from then on the Turkish Army in 
Syria, which had lost 73,000 prisoners in 10 days, practically ceased to 
exist, and Turkey, hopelessly beaten in all fields, sued for peace. 

On the march of the conquerors in Palestine the Y M C A estab- 
lished centers at all halting places which, however, were soon closed 
up again as the troops pushed north beyond the Sea of Galilee. At 



86 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

Jaffa the German Consulate was assigned to the Y who also took 
over the management of the Jaffa hotel for officers. 

In Jerusalem a large building was used for a hotel, and an adjoining 
hall was fitted for cinema shows and was used for social and religious 
purposes. Sight-seeing trips were arranged for the Indian troops as well 
as the Europeans, for Jerusalem is a holy city to the Moslem as well as 
to the Christian and Jew, being, for him, second only to Mecca. 

Mohammedan Grand Mufti Greets YMCA 

The Y had by this time put its activities in Jerusalem on a firm basis, 
and on Arm.istice Day it received, through Mr. Jessop, the Chief Secre- 
tary, a fine tribute from the Mohammedan Grand Mufti of Jerusalem. 
The meeting took place in the Governor's office where, after extending 
congratulations on the Armistice, the Grand Mufti said, "We have seen 
your work for the troops all these months, these tourists going through, 
your cinema shows, the playing field, and we want you to do the same 
thing for the young men of Jerusalem and Palestine." Mr. Jessop re- 
plied : "We are Christians. We are doing this because of the Master who 
lived here some two thousand years ago." The Grand Mufti answered : 
"We know all about that, but don't we worship the same Lord? Allah 
is your God and He is our God. I have a boy and I should like to make 
him your first member." 

Summary of Service in the Near East 

During the three years 1916-1918, from 20 to 56 centers were at 
work at all times in Egypt and for Egyptian forces in the Darda- 
nelles and Palestine. The maximum personnel for this work, ex- 
clusive of the number of women who gave part of their time in ser- 
vice at the Esbekieh Gardens, was 56 secretaries: of these 5 were 
Americans, 19 Australians, 2 New Zealanders and 27 British. 



12 — With the Armies in Mesopotamia 

Through the sandstorms of Mesopotamia, in the scorching heat 
of an average 106 degrees in a tent during the day and the cool of 
night — with camel trains bearing the Red Triangle, the crusaders of 
the Y followed for three years the campaigns against the Turks with 
the British soldiers, the Indians and the Arabs, across the deserts to 
the borders of Persia, and into the ancient capital at Bagdad. 

The first Mesopotamian expedition began to fight its way up the 
valley of the Tigris and Euphrates toward the coveted goal of Bagdad in 
1915, and on September 29 of that year took its place on the world stage 



WITH THE ARMIES OF OUR ALLIES 87 

by the capture of Kut-el-Amara, 300 miles up the Tigris, and due east 
across the desert from ancient Babylon on the Euphrates. The 5000 
British troops, with 10,000 Indians and other Allies .which composed, 
General Townshend's army, were caught here by a superior force of 
Turks, and after a gallant defense their shattered remnants of less than 
10,000 surrendered on April 28, 1916. The objectives, a strong contact 
with Persia, a junction with the Russians, and the control of Bagdad, 
were too important to abandon, and a new expedition under General 
Maude in less than a year (Feb. 26, 1917) had recaptured Kut, and driv- 
ing the Turks in confusion before them, entered Bagdad on March 11. 

The great pass of Khanikin traversed by Alexander in his invasion 
of Persia was soon opened, and after thoroughly pacifying Mesopotamia, 
the great break-through of October, 1918, overwhelmed the last Turkish 
armies, captured their great base at Mosul, and at the time of the Armis- 
tice had freed the whole of Mesopotamia from Turkish domination. 

American and Canadian college men reinforced the first contingent of 
Y workers from India, who went up with the British and Indian armies 
into the great desert through which the Tigris and Euphrates trace their 
long, narrow areas of ancient civilization. The work was started from 
India by the secretaries who accompanied the Army under the auspices 
of the Indian National Council of the Y Al C A (referred to in the section 
"With the Indian Armies"). The bulk of these American and Canadian 
volunteers stayed with the expedition to the end, and served with the 
same spirited youthfulness which had impelled them to volunteer in this 
arduous field so far from home. Some of them are there now, as Mesopo- 
tamia, occupied as a new outpost of the British Empire, presents a vast 
problem for Christian service and social reorganization. 

Red Triangle in the Streets of Bagdad 

Important service is being accomplished through the Y M C A in 
this land of the "Arabian Nights." Its headquarters are at Bagdad and 
Margil which are operated from Bombay, Calcutta and London, for 
the success of the activities in Mesopotamia. In a land so monotonous, 
with no family attractions, no religious influences, no familiar sights and 
sounds, the soldiers found life intolerable. The trials and troubles of the 
heat, mud, and pests added to the depression of the troops. The greatest 
service of the Y was comradeship. Here in the desert they made 
friends with Arabs, Jews, and Christians. The people of Mesopotamia 
seem to lean on the Y for the endurance and courage to "carry on." 

The Red Triangle became the sign of friendship. It carried its message 
to Baizi, half way between Bagdad and Mosul near a place the Arabs call 
Shoramick ; from Railhead the Y center supplies were sent to Mosul, 
Shargaat, Fratak and Kirkuk. Kirkuk was the base of operations against 
an uprising of a band of Kurds. The Y secretary near Kirkuk took 



88 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

affairs in his own hands in the beginning of the uprising ; loading up his 
Ford automobile, he was on the ground at Kirkuk before his own men 
reached there. At Basrah, Amarah, and Bagdad centers were manned 
by secretaries volunteering to carry on the Y war service for the Army 
of Occupation. At Jaipur lines center, in Basrah, the Y conducted 
wrestling contests. The Y, at the request of the military forces, went into 
Shargaat, half way between Railhead and Mosul, to put life in this barren 
spot near the ruins of Asshur. At the Marwari Relief Center, at Amrah, 
Chatelier, the magician, gave an evening of magic nightly to 1000 
Sepoys with about 30 British officers and Sisters among the spectators. 
During the last week in June, 1919, there were two variety entertain- 
ments, one social gathering, two bagatelle tournaments and two cinema 
shows. Hockey was one of the most popular sports. 

Comradery in the Tents at Kirkuk 

The Y work with the Kirkuk column spreads along six miles of scat- 
tered troops. Chaldari is a model center, and perhaps the best equipped 
in Mesopotamia. The Y tent, located in an open air park, well lighted 
by electricity, has a pavilion with tables and benches, gramophones and a 
piano. Here several hundred men gather every night to spend an in- 
formal evening smoking, singing and chatting. Two band concerts, two 
cinema shows and two trips on the Tigris are given every week. The 
library tent contains 1000 volumes of reference and general works. It 
is furnished with electric lights and fans. There is a splendidly equipped 
game tent, a secretary's tent, repair tent, and orderlies' tent. In July, 1919, 
a new bakery was installed, with a large kitchen. An 800 gallon water tank 
has been built which is filled daily with filtered water. There is a church 
tent with altar, chancel rail and curtains. Two religious services are held 
on Sundays. Educational activities include two classes in motor 
mechanics with a Ford car to work on, three times a week, while a short- 
hand class meets five times a w^eek. There are classes in Hindustani, 
drawing, arithmetic, and bookkeeping. 

Nightly Scenes in Y Tents in Mesopotamia 

The Y tents in Mesopotamia are arranged in hollow rectangles, one 
end open. At the far end are the secretaries' and orderlies' tents; on 
either side are the activity tents. There is always a stream of men going 
into the canteens on the right where two orderlies are kept busy serving 
tea, lime juice, cakes, etc. These men emerge to sit in groups around 
tables placed in front. There they tell the escapades of the day. On the 
right of the large space is the game tent, — always filled with men playing 
billiards, draughts, chess, ping pong, etc. Opposite is the meeting tent 
where there is a piano which is a meeting place for the boys. The other 



WITH THE ARMIES OF OUR ALLIES 89 

big tent is the library and reading room. It is a homelike place ; day and 
night there is always someone there. The place is a desirable spot to all 
for its companionship at night. 

At Massey 100 Sepoys are attending Y educational classes. They 
have hockey and football matches daily, and wrestling matches at least 
once a month. There is one lecture each week at the camp. At Mosul 
they have impromptu stunts every night. At Hillah, Singh's Brigade 
is furnishing tents for the educational work with 530 names of persons 
handed in for the classes. A drama was produced on the Y M C A stage 
in the center of the camp on June 2, 1919, which attracted an audience of 
3000 spectators. The Divisional Commander made a thorough inspection 
of the Y M C A on May 23, 1919, and highly commended it. The Com- 
missioner of Education in Bagdad is holding a stereopticon lecture every 
■week in the central theater. This is attended by several hundred boys in- 
vited from the various schools. The lectures are given both in English 
and in Arabic. Here, in far away Mesopotamia, the Y M C A is laying 
the foundations for Christian civilization. 

13 — ^With the Indian Army 

India, with her vast population of over 300,000,000, proved herself a 
substantial asset in man power to the Allies, and beside the Sikhs, 
Gurkhas, and other regular troops from her more warlike races, she raised 
a large army of volunteers, which proved to be the backbone, before the 
War was over, of Great Britain's eastern campaigns; here, again, the 
Red Triangle followed' the armies. 

Out of this army India provided troops for the West Front and the 
Mesopotamia, Palestine, East Africa and Salonika campaigns besides a 
large force for garrison duty at home. Indian troops bore the brunt of 
several of the most brilliant campaigns of the British expeditionary armies. 
This was particularly the case in Mesopotamia where General Town- 
shend's army at first, which passed through a fearful ordeal before it was 
captured by the Turks in 1916 at Kut-el-Amara, and General Maude's 
splendid force later, which captured Bagdad in 1917, were largely com- 
posed of Indian troops. The exploits of the Deccan Horse and of the 
Gurkhas on the West front, although they could not stand the terrible 
strain of trench warfare, were also among the finest things in the War. 
Indian troops served in Egypt, and were to be found in China, in the 
Malay States and wherever else garrison, guard and emergency duties 
called them. 

Along the Tigris and the Euphrates 

When toward the end of August, 1914, the Indian National Council 
of the Y M C A learned that troops from India were to be hurried to the 



90 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

Western P>ont, the Council made an immediate offer to the Viceroy and 
the Commander-in-Chief of its entire resources in serving the Indian 
troops at the front. Though at first this offer was turned down by the 
authorities, because ever since the Mutiny, Christian missionaries had 
been excluded from service to Indian soldiers, the good faith of the "Y" 
and the need of its services were so apparent that the authorities raised 
no objection to the first twelve secretaries sailing as stowaways with the 
Indian troops en route for France. These secretaries with full equip- 
ment had landed and begun their work in France before the British War 
Office had sanctioned the sending of English Y workers across the 
Channel. From this beginning the Indian YMCA rapidly extended its 
activities so that it maintained eventually a total staff of 83 secretaries in 
France ; opened 56 branches for British, and 27 branches for Indian 
troops in India itself ; maintained at the height of its work a hundred, 
Indian and British secretaries and 102 centers of work in Mesopotamia ; 
and established, organized and developed the entire welfare and canteen 
service for both Indian and British troops in British and German East 
Africa. It is interesting to note that it was from India that the American 
YMCA finally selected its Chief Secretary for its operations with the 
A E F in France, Mr. Carter who had been the organizing head of the 
Indian National Council's work just described. Though the majority of 
the workers engaged in this work under Mr. Carter's leadership came 
from India and Great Britain, a considerable number of Americans and 
Canadians were recruited by the Indian YMCA for service in Meso- 
potamia, East Africa, Palestine, and India itself. The units from Prince- 
ton, Michigan, and Harvard Universities won unusual distinction in these 
fields. 

The Y services frequently came to be of the most vital use in Mesopo- 
tamia where Y transport, especially Y river steamers, brought the sick and 
wounded from the battle lines down the Tigris to the British camp at 
Basrah and conducted them to the safety and care of base headquarters. 

The Association, as recorded in these pages, followed the Indian 
troops through the Mesopotamia campaign, and in the camps of the great 
desert between the Tigris and the Euphrates where much of the campaign 
was fought. Y shelters were a welcome refuge from the frightful heat, 
while the canteens provided food and entertainment and recreation in 
these primitive regions which did more than any other single factor in mak- 
ing them habitable. On the great overland march to Recht on the Caspian, 
by which the British tried to save Baku from the Bolsheviks and the 
Turks after the Russian Revolution, the Y was on duty with the marching 
columns, which included, as did the army of occupation left in Baku and 
along the Trans-Caspian Railway beyond Krasnovodsk, large numbers 
of Indian soldiers. 

Finally, among the troops left in Mesopotamia, based on Bagdad, 



WITH THE ARMIES OF OUR ALLIES 91 

the Y, as previously stated, is continuing its work among the Indian Ex- 
peditionary Army. 

14 — With the Armies in East Africa 

The campaign in East Africa was the hardest colonial campaign prose- 
cuted by the Allies during the entire War. It lasted for the full four 
years, at the end of which the little German force, which had fought its 
way from German East Africa into British East Africa, and, driven out 
again, had struggled resolutely back, crossing into Portuguese territory, 
was still uncaptured. 

The Allied operations were carried on by a composite army made 
up of Indian, Negro, South African, and British regiments. The cam- 
paign covered a territory as great as the whole Western Front and was 
waged under the deadly climatic conditions of equatorial Africa. 

The Colored Y M C A made a generous response to the invitation 
of the Indian Y and took a splendid part in backing the Y enterprise 
with the East African expedition. They maintained seven colored 
secretaries whose special duties were with the army of negro soldiers 
fighting under British colors. Of the seven, two were drowned, two 
were shipwrecked but rescued, and one was permanently shaken by 
African fever; only two of them, indeed, came back from this long 
ordeal but little the worse in health. 

The British Y performed for its troops the same splendid service it 
administered through the War to British soldiers engaged in every part of 
the great British Empire, but the special service of the American Y at the 
point where it was most needed was a consecrated task. The service of 
American Colored Y Secretaries side by side with Indian and British 
workers, brought home the fact that even before America joined the 
Allies, the colored citizens of America were keen to serve colored soldiers 
enlisted in the Allied cause. The colored branches of the Y in America, 
which supported a good part of this work, brought the fellow-members 
of their race in Africa as well as in France in direct touch with the public 
spirit of millions of colored citizens and rose admirably to their great 
opportunity. 



15 — With the Armies in Turkey and Asia Minor 

The collapse of the Turkish alliance with Germany in the colossal plot 
to set up a powerful empire from Berlin to Bagdad, even at the cost of 
a Holy War, is one of the most dramatic scenes in the history of mad 
ambitions. Turkey's army of 1,600,000 was terribly punished; it suffered 
over 1,000,000 casualties, mainly at Gallipoli and in Palestine and 
Mesopotamia. Morale sank to the lowest ebb in the Central Powers. At 



92 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

the beginning of this Teutonic-Moslem conspiracy, the American Y MC A 
was operating at only one point in this general area, — Constantinople. The 
Turkish Government ordered the abandonment of this work in 1916 and 
the building was turned over to the Prisoners of War service, which 
was conducted by a Dutch secretary. During this period of hostilities, 
therefore, the American YMCA had no access to the Turkish Empire. 
After the Armistice the Turkish Empire was completely opened up to 
the various relief agencies. The situation among the Armenians and 
Greeks in Asia Minor has been and is still one of extreme seriousness. 
The Armenians and Greeks were subject to the attacks of the Turks, not 
primarily because they were Christians, but because they were in reality 
an enemy population within Turkish borders, since both nations were 
strongly pro-Ally. The result is that in this section there reigns a desti- 
tution among the people not equalled anywhere in the world. 

Aiding Armenians and Greeks in Constantinople 

Relief agencies, such as the Armenian National Committee and the 
Near East Relief, rose to the situation in a very efifective manner, and 
have been putting forth tremendous efforts to solve the colossal problem 
of the mere maintenance of life among these starving and destitute 
people. Their program, under the circumstances, called primarily and 
almost exclusively for the relief of the economic distress, but it was felt 
by these agencies themselves that something more was needed in the 
population laboring under a heavy sense of depression. The YMCA 
therefore entered with its social, recreational and spiritual program. The 
line of work devised was aimed, as usual, to build up the spirits and inspire 
courage and hope in the minds of distressed people. Work for Greeks 
and Armenians was established at Constantinople, Smyrna, Aleppo, 
Adana, and Konia. The conditions that the Y meets at the present time 
are war-created conditions. There is a unanimous demand, in which other 
relief agencies join, for the continuance of this work for some time to 
come. 

Camps for Armenian Boys 

One great problem in the Turkish cities is the large number of 
Armenian orphan boys drifting around the streets. These waifs are 
described as "fearful, cunning, uncivilized barbarians." The Near East 
Relief requested the YMCA to assist in handling this situation. A 
camp was opened sixty miles south of Constantinople and use was made 
of the military equipment which the Germans had left behind. The 
activities were of an educational and athletic character, and the boys 
were in the charge of the camp authorities for the full twenty-four hours. 
Thus their whole life had to be organized. The relief committees here 



WITH THE ARMIES OF OUR ALLIES 93 

have urged that this work be greatly enlarged. Boys cared for in this 
camp during the Summer of 1919, and given a start on the road to 
character, vi^ere carefully placed as far as was possible in homes, agricul- 
tural schools, and factories. A trained Armenian secretary looked 
after them during the Winter of 1919. This work has been developed 
largely from the efforts of a comparatively few men; the force has 
varied from two to ten secretaries. The secretaries have organized and 
stimulated the work but the extent of the service could never have been 
carried on without the help given by those of the various communities, 
missionaries and the relief committees. It has been a cooperative task 
throughout. 

Service for the American soldiers and sailors in Constantinople 
has been maintained since 1919, serving from a few hundred to two 
thousand at times. A club house has been opened as headquarters 
for this work, with French classes, arithmetic classes, and other 
educational and social programs. 

Motion picture shows are given on board various ships as well as 
on shore ; sight-seeing tours are conducted all over the ancient city. 



16 — With the Armies in the Balkans 

In Serbia — Montenegro — Bulgaria 

The Balkan region has long been the "war brewing pot" of Europe. 
In the Balkans the flames of the World War were kindled, and here the 
Y M C A found urgent need of welfare expeditions from America. Serbia, 
the seat of the first bloodshed in the struggle of the nations, sent practically 
all her men of fighting age, — 707,343 men, — while Montenegro furnished 
50,000 more. The toll taken from these gallant armies was only exceeded 
by that of Russia, and to the case of the southern Slavs was added the 
humiliation and despair of seeing their country overrun and their homes 
occupied by the Austrian and Bulgar armies of invasion for three long 
years. Serbia's casualties are stated as between 450,000 and 500,000 out 
of her little army of 700,000. The figures for Montenegro were 20,000 
out of her army of barely 50,000. The struggle of Serbia and Montenegro 
against the Bulgarians is one of the most tragic phases of the war. 

The "resurrection" and reconstruction of these bleeding peoples 
of the Balkans is one of the problems which the Y M C A is now 
facing — for this is the breeding place of new wars unless its social 
and economic conditions are improved. 

Carrying the Red Triangle into Roumania 

The Roumanian Army was crushed in the fall of 1916; it lost 400,000 
effectives out of 750,000, and accepted Germany's armistice terms in 



94 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

1918 when Russia's collapse made Roumania's further defence hopeless. 
The YMCA sent four men to the stricken country during the German 
campaign against Roumania. They made their headquarters in the little 
town of Jassy which in a short time became a flourishing center as pro- 
visional capital. The Y opened up a few little centers with tea and 
sugar as the main attractions. The idea of serving the common soldier 
was so new and attractive that Roumanian society immediately became 
interested and leading Roumanian ladies backed up the Y men. Thirty 
Roumanian Boy Scouts became full-time volunteer helpers, some of them 
serving for considerably over a year. When the Germans evacuated 
Roumania and the army was disbanded the problem of destitution faced 
the people as they returned to their towns, — they had nothing to eat. 
The Y secretaries used what little funds they had left to help in feeding 
the most needy in Bucharest and other places. This is a field of service 
which is now calling to America for help. Here also, the British Y is 
doing a creditable work. 



17 — With the Government in Gzecho- Slovakia 

The "Uncle from America" 

The birth of this new republic with its 11,000,000 people is one of the 
notable results of the World War. With the crumbling of the once 
mighty Austro-Hungarian Empire, its many races began to throw off the 
yoke of despotism and new nations came into being. Throughout the 
War the Czecho-Slovaks fought in the Italian Army ; over 20,000 were at 
the front when the Armistice was signed. It was at this time the Czechs 
arose in Bohemia and proclaimed the Republic with Dr. Masaryk as its 
first president. During the making of this new nation the Y's supporting 
activities were valued. The Czecho-Slovak soldiers in France, Italy, 
Siberia (as related elsewhere in this record) had carried their "Uncle 
from America" with them, — this was their familiar name for the Y. 

Entire Nation Extends Gratitude to YMCA 

The Minister of National Defense of the Czecho-Slovak Republic 
(M. Klofac) at Prague on October 14, 1919, sent this message to Mr. 
D. A. Davis : 

"You (The American YMCA) came to our delivered Fatherland 
soon after the crushing of Austria-Hungary and helped through all 
your forces to care for our Army w^ith the same attention and 
thoughtfulness that you gave to our soldiers on the various fronts. 
As Minister of National Defense, to whom the public entrusted the 
youth of Czecho-Slovakia and the difficult task of erecting our Army, 
I am best able to appreciate all that the YMCA has done for the 



WITH THE ARMIES OF OUR ALLIES 95 

Czecho-Slovak soldier. . The entire Czecho-Slovak nation 

will never forget the friendliness of the great nation of the United 
States as expressed in the Association service. I beg you, Sir, to accept 
this utterance, not as an act of courtesy or mere politeness, but as a 
real expression from the Government, the Army and the whole 
nation." 

The soldiers returning" from the War called for their "Uncle from 
America" to stand with them in the building of their nation. General 
Pelle, Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Armies in Czecho-Slovakia, and 
practically all the Army and Government officials joined in the request. 

The Colonel of the 5th Regiment asserted that " 'The Uncle from 
America' has become indispensable to us. — to our soldiers as a central 
place of social life, and to us officers as a general cooperator for the physi- 
cal and moral edvication of our soldiers." 

President of New Republic Urges Y Cooperation \ 

The President of the Republic and the prominent business men urged 
the American Y to cooperate with the new republic. The leaders of the 
Protestant churches of all denominations, representatives of the Student 
Christian Movement and the Bohemian Y M C A appealed to have the 
American type of the Association work established in Czecho-Slovakia. 
By its fourfold program it has appealed to the imagination of the Slav 
peoples. 

As one of the constructive results of Y work in the World War 
the Red Triangle is now a national institution in Prague on a co- 
operative basis. The agreement with the Government is the most 
mutually advantageous that exists between the International Com- 
mittee and any nation. 

The Government has turned over to the Y M C A property valued at 
$594,000. Property once given over to its control cannot be taken from 
it without the consent of the Association, save by direct order of the 
Minister of National Defense of Czecho-Slovakia. The Republic furn- 
ishes buildings, light, heat, furniture, transportation and supplies, also 
automobile maintenance. Czecho-Slovakia gives a permanent assignment 
of two men for each building, and assigns others from local units as the 
occasion may demand. Officers are furnished for liaison work to be de- 
veloped as future leaders of the work. 

Slav Government Makes Y a National Institution 

There were twenty-seven Y units in operation in Czecho-Slovakia 
on October 23, 1919. There were 71 soldiers receiving instruction 
in the Y M C A Training School as secretaries, 82 soldiers receiving 
instructions for general athletics, 74 soldiers receiving instruction for 



96 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

specialized athletics. This number has since been greatly increased. 

According to the plan agreed upon by the Ministry of National De- 
fense and the YMCA they are training athletic officers for the entire 
Czecho-Slovak Army. After these men are trained they are returned to 
their regiments to carry on the program. They make regular reports to 
the Ministry of War and to the Athletic Director of the YMCA. Over 
100 athletic leaders are to be coaches not only in the Army but in the 
Sokols and in the schools. 

At the inaugural ceremonies of the 22d and 23d Y huts in Czecho- 
slovakia, one in Silesia and the other in Moravia, Governors of provinces. 
Generals in command, local officers, — all attended and spoke enthusiasti- 
cally of the work accomplished. 

Cooperation of the Government 

There are many concrete instances of the cooperation of the Govern- 
ment. At Beno, Moravia, the YMCA has been furnished a home which 
before the War was erected at a cost of $101,300 (500,000 kronen). A 
hall is provided with a seating capacity of 1500, large rooms for canteen, 
writing rooms, reading rooms, social rooms, a completely equipped gym- 
nasium and a bath containing fifty shower and ten tub baths. In addition 
to this building the Association has large athletic grounds for a baseball 
diamond, football field, two basket ball and two volley ball courts. At 
Opava a former German exposition building situated in a beautiful park 
has been remodeled and given to the Y. At Komarno a former Austrian 
Army officers' theater and casino has been given over to the service of the 
Y. It is one of the most beautiful theaters in Slovensko. The attendance 
monthly at the cinema shows is exceeding 100,000 persons ; 6120 soldiers 
participated in games during the month of September, 1919, under the 
direction of the Y M'C A ; during another month 325,000 men were served 
with buns and hot drinks. 

John Havranck of the Slovak Ministry says: "There was a constant 
question being asked in Bratislar: 'Where are the soldiers?' They were 
not to be seen on the streets or in the cafes during their free hours. We 
soon found out that they were down in the 'Little America.' For that and 
what you have done for our brothers we are thankful to you." 

Thus, the Y is privileged to assist as a nation builder. 

18 — With the Armies in Poland 

Poland, the battle-ground for four years of the contending armies, 
suffered terribly from the scourge of war. This nation of 30,000,000 
people, thus reborn, is being created under the new world of promise 



WITH THE ARMIES OF OUR ALLIES 97 

left by the Allied victory. The Y with its headquarters at Warsaw 
is serving the struggling nation. 

This work has been started with a fearful handicap in disease, star- 
vation, and completely disorganized civic and economic life. It is esti- 
mated that over 1,000,000 Poles died of starvation and diseases growing 
out of its ravages before the Armistice. The new Poland, also, which like 
Belgium on a vastly larger scale, had been systematically plundered for 
three years by Germany, started on the herculean task of drawing together 
its shattered national life. Poland is making a struggle for union and 
democracy. She is fighting against a handicap imposed upon her by 
generations of domination by Prussian, Russian and Austrian imperialism. 

Poland's Fight for Civilization 

Poland is passing through a grave crisis — a crisis that affects the 
whole world. The great Polish leader Sobieski saved civilization from 
Moslem domination at the time of the Turkish invasion, and now at the 
present day, the Poles are trying to save the world from anarchy. 

At the urgent request of the Polish Government, Premier Ignace 
Paderewski, (who left America to return to his beloved homeland 
and reconstruct it into a powerful nation) cabinet officials, and army 
officers, the Y M C A entered the field as a constructive force in the 
hours of peril. 

The struggle is one of an anti-Christian, materialistic, social order 
against ordered progress as represented in a Christian civilization. Mr. 
Henry Morgenthau said on his return from his investigation of conditions 
in Poland: "Poland needs everything you (the YMCA) can do for 
her." It has been said by an emissary in war-stricken Europe that "one 
thousand men of the right type under the Red Triangle at a certain mo- 
ment could have saved Russia from its reign of terror." In Poland there 
are already instances, where Y secretaries by persuasion have suppressed 
revolts before which army officers were powerless. 

Polish Government Endorses the Y 

General Pilsudski, Chief of Staff of the Army of Poland, said: 
"During the short time that you have been here, we have seen that the Y 
has rendered an invaluable service to our government." 

These words were confirmed by Premier Paderewski, who said : "I 
know the splendid work your organization has done, and the magnificent 
spirit in which it has been accomplished. I sincerely hope that it may be 
continued." 

A letter signed by thirty-one officers and members of the General 
Staff of the Ministry of War stated : "We, the undersigned, wish to ex- 



98 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

press our great gratitude and our real respect for your work for the 
Polish soldiers, which stands proof of such perfect self-denial." 

Red Triangle with Polish Patriots in France 

How the Y comes to be a factor in the reconstruction of Poland today 
is one of the results of the World War; it has followed the Polish soldiers 
from the battlefields of France, back to their homeland. It is a direct 
outgrowth of the Y work in France with the American and French 
Armies. Fighting in France with the Allies was the Polish Autonomous 
Army of which about 80 per cent were Polish patriots from America. 
Chaplain Jawovski, a priest while stationed at Laval, France, in January, 
1918, was impressed by the work of the Y and expressed a desire to have 
it extended to his countrymen. Chaplain Ray Sonnek, with the Polish 
troops at Potigny (Calvados), on April 8, 1918, appealed for Y workers 
among these troops. The YMCA work had been conducted through 
the Foyer du Soldat since January, 1918, in France. By October 25, the 
Y had about 15 secretaries, especially assigned to work among the Polish 
Army in France in the huts (or orgniskos). 

General Archinard, Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Army, at a re- 
view at Sompuis (Marne) in France, expressed to Walter S. Schutz, the 
American Secretary in charge of Polish work, his appreciation of the aid 
which the YMCA had rendered to these troops. General Haller, who 
took command of all the Polish troops in Europe, expressed his gratitude 
for the services of the Y to his regiments at the front line and in the 
training areas. At Sille-le-Guillaume where the Polish Army had its 
base of supplies and equipment, the Y had a thoroughly equipped can- 
teen, reading and writing room which served every need of the soldiers. 

Y secretaries, who rendered this service with the Polish forces in 
France, returned with them to Poland at the end of the War — at the 
urgent request of soldiers, army officers, and the Polish Government. 
General Pilsudski, on May 3, 1919, the Constitutional Day, (like the 
Fourth of July in America) attended the open air mass and review 
of troops. The Y was privileged to participate in the National festi- 
val since it shared with the Poles in contributing to the rebirth of 
Poland. 

The Polish Government has granted every facility to the YMCA in 
the task in which it is engaged. There are three regions with headquar- 
ters respectively at Lublin, Lwow and Cracow, in Poland. Large bar- 
racks and extensive buildings are continually put at the disposal of the Y 
at all the centers. The Government gives the Y free transportation for 
men and supplies. Soldiers and officials are detailed. On every hand, 
officers, especially when they receive orders from the War Ministry, are 
making the Y service possible and effective. 



WITH THE ARMIES OF OUR ALLIES 99 

Poland's Soldiers Crowd Y Huts 

Thousands of soldiers crowd the Y huts — understanding that the 

Y buildings are for their use. The sight of 1500 soldiers or more packed 
in the great Eagle Hut in Warsaw is one that arouses enthusiasm. Group 
and choral singing is very popular with the Poles, while dramatic, musical, 
and other clubs now realize their old ambition. The Y is supplying 
them with musical instruments and equipment. The Y choral leader has 
revised their national songs and the voices of the soldiers can be heard 
ringing from the huts. 

General Haller and the Chaplain-in-Chief Jean Wieckowski have both 
expressed appreciation of the Y's contribution in keeping up the morale 
of the Polish Army, while Poland is in a critical place in its history. 
A private of the Polish Chasseurs recently came to a hut and insisted on 
making a contribution from his 4^4 cents per day for the continuance of 
the Y work. 

Legion of Death — A New Social Order 

There has been established a hut for the Legion of Death — the fighting 
battalion of Polish women, who first organized themselves in the city 
of Lemberg to strike a direct blow at the Bolsheviki. They succeeded 
after much hard fighting in driving the Bolsheviki from the city. These 
women did service on the front lines in the infantry and carried guns and 
supplies on their backs. 

A new social order is being instituted. Every Y in Poland has a "wet 
canteen," attracting men to the huts and creating a social intercourse; 
there are the entertainments, cinema, physical recreation — in short, all 
things that are conducive to making life worth while under the distress- 
ing circumstances. The Poles have not been permitted to have gymnastic 
societies for years; they had no equipment for play or athletics. The 

Y has taken the initiative; volley ball, basketball and football are now 
popular with the Polish soldiers. This is awakening the Poles from their 
lethargy caused by the centuries of subjection to Austrian, Prussian, and 
Russian domination. The Y educational work is being accomplished 
under direction of the soldiers' university which is a department of the 
War Ministry; classes are generally held in the Association huts. The 
Polish, French, and English languages and other subjects are being 
taught. Polish libraries are being put in each of the Y huts. The future 
work in Poland is being taken care of by recruits trained in the first 

Y M C A secretaries' training school. 

The Y a Power for Democracy 

Reverend S. Oskierko, senior chaplain of the Mazovian Front, visited 
the Eagle Hut in Warsaw and was so impressed that he wrote : "There 



100 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

they may, after heavy physical toil, rest their bodies and develop and 
protect their minds; may this 'Young Christian Spirit' (Zwiszek Mlod- 
ziezy Chrzescijanskiez) extend its work more and more to the Glory of 
God and the good of the soldier and his Fatherland." 

Colonel Rzadkowski, commanding Polish troops in an Eastern sector, 
says: "I think it would be an excellent thing if the Y could as far as 
possible found its very useful institutions, not only for the soldiers, but 
also for the peasants and all civihan young men. This would greatly 
elevate the moral standards of the inhabitants of our towns and villages, 
and at the same time, of our soldiers. 

The Honorable Hugh Gibson, American Minister, stated that the Y 
work is so important that he considered the Association "the greatest 
foe to Bolshevism" through the athletic and recreative program rendered 
to the Polish Army and now continued in Poland. 

And in closing this outline of the work of the Y in Poland let us 
quote from an army surgeon in a hospital at Cracow : 

"I believe the YMCA can have a greater influence for democracy 
than all the social and political parties put together." 



XIII— WITH THE PRISONERS OF WAR 

American Y in Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Other Countries 

The w^orld-wide service of the American Y M C A in the World 
War, as rapidly surveyed in the preceding chapters, all began with the 
w^ork in the Prison Camps in 1914 — in itself a notable accomplishment, 
inaugurated, as we have already recorded, by Dr. John R. Mott. 

One inevitable result when opposing armies are counted by the mil- 
lions, is the capture of prisoners of war in vast numbers. Out of single 
battles they came by hundreds and thousands, disarmed enemies in a 
hostile country, an infinite embarrassment to even the most friendly 
captors. When every facility of transport is strained to maintain the 
fighting strength at the front, it is to be expected that prisoners will 
receive only the minimum of consideration, just the attention necessary 
to bring them into a situation where they can be so surely guarded that 
they are eliminated once and for all as a fighting factor. In comparatively 
few situations was there a resort to deliberate brutality in any of the 
warring countries. But public opinion is all against the prisoners. Their 
"keepers realize that to raise their living conditions above the lowest 
standards of the community is to provoke a storm of popular indignation 
that cannot always be withstood. 

Accurate figures cannot be obtained, but general estimates all 
place the total number of Prisoners of War at over 6,000,000. 



WITH THE PRISONERS OF WAR 101 

In the early days of the War, this meant a vast group of young and 
active men penned up in a state of complete idleness in the midst of an 
enemy country — each man practically always hungry, lonely and de- 
pressed. When Dr. Mott visited the war area soon after the great con- 
flict started, he regarded this situation as a direct appeal to the American 
Y M C A, and its distinctive purpose to promote the highest welfare of 
young men. America was then a neutral nation and there was no other 
internationally-minded and internationally-equipped organization ready to 
undertake the task of carrying effective relief to these "caged men." 
This was, it must be borne in mind, the first American social welfare work 
in the World War. . 

In the establishment of service for Prisoners of War, Archibald 
C. Harte did notable pioneer work. He succeeded in establishing 
such personal relations with the governments of the Central Powers 
and Russia that he was able to travel freely between Berlin and Petro- 
grad and through the countries at war. It is due to his character 
and skill in difficult negotiations that the American Y M C A was 
placed in such a commanding position of service to prisoners of all 
nationalities. 

R. L. Ewing was appointed by Dr. Mott to take charge of Prisoners 
of War work in England. By his administrative skill and active 
cooperation with the English authorities, the work was more exten- 
sively developed among prisoners in England than in any other 
country. 



German Government Admits Y in Its Prisons 

All of the belligerents, except Turkey, opened the prisoners-of-war 
camps to the work on a basis of international reciprocity. Permission 
to maintain activities in Germany, for example, was conditioned on the 
maintenance of a similar work for German prisoners in Allied prison 
camps. This work did not cease when America left the ranks of the 
neutrals and joined the forces allied against the Central Powers. The 
International Committee by permission of the German Government, kept 
its executive responsibilities, .continued its support, and retained the 
majority of its senior secretaries in order to maintain the reciprocal 
nature of the service. This was essential as a measure for maintaining 
a position for giving any real help to American soldiers who might later 
be confined to prison camps. It was necessary, however, to withdraw 
most of the American workers who were replaced by neutral nationals. 
Through the cooperation of the World's Committee of the Young Men's 
Christian Association and the Scandinavian Committee, the work went 
forward. 



102 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

German Imperial Chancellor Thanks the Y 

On the departure of the American secretaries from Germany, Prince 
Max von Baden, who. later, for a short time, became Imperial Chancellor, 
addressed them as follows : 

"In a most solemn hour I address you, for your going signifies a 
new and ominous phase of this World War. That your work here 
will not wholly be abandoned and that Mr. Hoffman intends to remain 
on, causes me to rejoice greatly; for I see in these facts the finest 
possible expressions of the ideal you represent in this world, worthy 
of the great Christian organization of which you are a part." 



Prisoners Interned in Denmark, Holland, Switzerland 

Beyond the ordinary military prisoners there were other groups 
who were closely confined during the War. Sick and severely wounded 
prisoners of all nationalities were by mutual consent interned in Den- 
mark, Holland and Switzerland. There were eight military and civilian 
internment camps in the United States and Canada. Also, a large 
number of Belgians and British, who escaped from Antwerp, were in- 
terned in Holland. As far as was possible under the severe limitations 
inherent in the situation, the Y served all these groups in some manner 
or other. 

This effort on behalf of prisoners reached across Europe and 
Siberia, south to Tashkend in Turkestan and Ahmednagar in India, 
and on to the German prisoners in Japan. Headquarters were located 
in Berne, Switzerland. The total staff included 65 secretaries. 

A total of over $1,100,000 was spent in this work by the American 
YMCA during the period from April, 1917, to October, 1919. Funds 
were also contributed by the various governments and other home 
agencies for their own nationals. The work in Switzerland was con- 
ducted in cooperation with an international organization. Dr. A. C. 
Harte had general direction of the European work. 

The program of the Y in the prison camps was designed wholly to 
meet the extraordinary conditions of close confinement. It is true 
that France early adopted the policy of putting prisoners to work. 
Other countries as the War progressed, did employ some in various 
ways ; but there were at all times a very large number of men caged 
by themselves. Recreational and social activities were organized to 
bring relief from the intolerable monotony ; religious work was estab- 
lished to replace depression with hope and faith and remind the men 
of the best things at home ; educational lectures and classes were estab- 
lished so that those times of imprisonment might not be years cut out 
of vigorous young lives and thrown away. Then, too, relief in the shape 
of food and clothing was in many cases the most immediate need. Large 



WITH THE PRISONERS OF WAR 103 

numbers of British and American prisoners of war received their first 
food packages through the Y. 

What the Y Did in Prison Camps 

It may appear presumptuous to speak of sixty-odd secretaries serv- 
ing several millions of men. But the character of the situation must 
be borne in mind. With thousands of men idle there was no lack of 
workers; what was needed was organization and equipment. First 
of all the Y men sought to build up a simple organization in each camp 
and put what was really a welcome burden on the shoulders of the 
capable leaders in every camp. In one situation the committees were 
left to themselves for two years but there was no lapse in their work. 
The completeness of some of these organizations is shown by the list 
of committees in the camp at Grodig, Austria. It included, Welfare, 
School, Library and Reading Room, Music, Theater, Cinema, Athletic 
and Recreation, Arts, Wood Carving and Handwork, and Religious. 

Huts w^ere provided in many prison camps. Sometimes it was pos- 
sible to secure the use of excellent buildings loaned by the commandant. 
Through the cooperation of the Red Cross and by direct purchase a 
quantity of supplies were secured. Here is a list whose variety should 
satisfy a range of tastes : theatrical costumes, wigs, rouge, artists' paints 
and brushes, musical instruments, music. Bibles, prayer books, hymnals, 
library and text books, church decorations, school supplies, tools, den- 
tist chairs and equipment, hospital supplies, athletic equipment. The 
quantity of each was meager enough, to be sure, but some simple ath- 
letic apparatus and a few tennis balls have proved the saving element 
in more than one situation. 

What music did for these prisoners they alone can tell in adequate 
terms. "Now we can keep our courage, and hold on until the day of 
peace" — this was the response to the old home music. Theatrical enter- 
tainments put on in buildings erected or adapted by the Y were a god- 
send alike to audiences and actors. 

Further, the Y was able to help in dealing with the prison authori- 
ties. The conduct of each camp was, of course, a reflection of the 
spirit and disposition of its commandant. But the advantage of an 
organized, orderly camp was so apparent that many concessions were 
readily secured. A large measure of self-government was accorded 
in many camps where the prisoners were busy and reasonably con- 
tented. In certain cases, the efforts of the Y organization actually 
secured a much-needed change in the whole basis of rationing — a ser- 
vice that touched every prisoner within the range of its operation. 

One enterprise of the general organization should not be forgotten : 
The Information and Correspondence Department — whose service was to 
seek out missing men and collect information concerning the physical 



104 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

welfare of prisoners. The news (officially approved) was conveyed to 
anxious relatives through the various national offices of the Young 
Men's Christian Association. 

In Russia 64 prison camps were touched by Y workers and through 
visitation 102 camp enclosures in France were served. In Great 
Britain an extensive and effective work -was carried on everywhere. 
The major camps within the Central Powers, with their more than 
4,000,000 prisoners, were organized and visited regularly. 

One Russian, caged, for several years, summed up his opinion: 
"Years of youth were passing. Mental atrophy had begun. You came. 
You showed us a new way and extended a helping hand." 

Recreation relieved the aching strain of monotony, but education 
saved the waste of some of the best years in the lives of young men. 

Prisoners Become Students in Y Schools 

In Ruhleben, Germany, the camp for interned civilians, there were 
1800 students in the school with 150 teachers. In one of the camps 
in England, 520 out of 990 were in classes. In a far-ofi Siberian camp, 
35 teachers carried through a curriculum for 1700 students in sixteen 
courses, though provided with only the most elementary equipment 
and a limited supply of textbooks. 

In Mauthausen, Austria, the Italians had so outgrown the original 
Y hut that a new school building was necessary to house their four- 
teen courses, including sculpture and painting. Under the leadership 
of an Italian professor, the school was so effective that the Educational 
Commission in Italy agreed to give credits for all work done. 

Among the Russians in Wieselburg. Austria, over 2000 in seven 
months passed through the three schools, one for invalids, a night 
school for day workers, and a third for officers. Classes included not 
only the elementary branches, but agriculture, medicine, physics, chem- 
istry, economics, banking and sociology. 

Aside from regular educational classes, much was done through 
the lecture plan and through the circulating of libraries. Books were 
as eagerly sought after as meals, and in spite of the millions of books 
and periodicals forwarded by the Y and by the various governments, 
the dearth of reading material was regrettable. One report covering a 
short period states that 5437 books were distributed to 53 points in 
Italy. To reach the men out in the working parties traveling libraries 
were established. 

Within the camps were to be found many cripples and sick who 
needed special attention. Trade schools were established to be of prac- 
tical service to these unfortunates. Not infrequently the Red Triangle 
lurnished benches and tools for shoemaking, tailoring, and carpentering 



WITH THE PRISONERS OF WAR 105 

in the effort to reeducate men for the future. Raw materials were 
supplied to many who craved the opportunity of making articles to be 
placed on sale. 



Worship for Various Faiths in Prison Camps 

The ' religious ministry of the Y was deeply appreciated. The aim 
was to furnish the means for the nurture of the religious life in the 
accustomed forms, since in most cases the interned were denied the 
ministry of their respective chaplains. It was the Association's privilege 
to provide the places of worship for the various faiths. Vast quantities 
of religious literature and Bibles were distributed. By this ministry, 
the men came to recognize the spirit of Christian charity. In some 
camps the secretaries could personally meet the desires and needs of 
the prisoners. 

At Frith Hill, England, the secretary wrote: "Bible classes are 
being recorded almost daily, meeting almost every hour to suit the con- 
veniences of the different groups. The regular Sunday service is also 
in the hands of the religious committee. For two Sundays they insisted 
I must give the message and they declared I must make some arrange- 
ment to be with them Sundays at any rate. What pastor in America has 
200 male voices in his choir, 35 or 40 more in the orchestra to supple- 
ment the singers, and then 500 or 600 additional hearers? Under these 
conditions the spirit of sullenness, skepticism, cynicism and stolid sel- 
fishness is gradually melting away under the Christ spirit of hopeful- 
ness and wholesome optimism and personal regard the one for the 
other." 

Relief Work in the Central Powers 

.The Y workers assisted the governments and the Red Cross in the 
actual distribution of supplies. The necessity of relief was most press- 
ing within the Central Powers. Individuals as well as governments 
placed large sums of money at the disposal of the individual secretaries. 
It was necessary to establish an office in Copenhagen and to utilize 
as well the Association offices in Switzerland and Holland for the send- 
ing of food packages to the destitute prisoners. Convalescent kitchens 
for the sick played no small part. Cooperative societies in the Aus- 
trian camps rendered a great service in distributing food secured by 
the Association. 

On behalf of the Slavs and Italians in Germany in the first five 
months of 1918, 150 tons of food were secured. In East Siberia, in 
cooperation with the. American Embassy, the secretary was asked to 
distribute ten to twelve trainloads of food, clothing, and medicine. Doc- 



106 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

tors have officially reported that thousands of lives were saved through 
these means. 

With Our Own Boys in German Prisons 

The wisdom of maintaining this unselfish work was soon demon- 
strated. Within the German Empire, the service of the American 
Senior Secretary, Conrad Hoffman, who voluntarily remained through- 
out the entire struggle, proved most. valuable to the captured Americans 
when conditions had become desperate regarding clothing and food. 
Through personal contact with the American prisoners, the War Prison- 
ers' Aid at Berne and Copenhagen was informed regarding the needs of 
the Americans ; and the American Red Cross, to which had been com- 
mitted the task of supplying food and clothing, was given the essential 
information. 

Through the YMCA efforts the American prisoners were con- 
centrated in one place and later transferred to a far more pleasant 
and sanitary camp near Rastatt. In addition the following privileges 
were secured : 

Abolition of the block system, by which the prisoners were sep- 
arated into non-communicating groups. 

The use of a large athletic field. 

Permission to erect a Y M C A hut and a kitchen. 

Permission for members of the Help Committee to make pur- 
chases in the city for their comrades. 

The establishment of a system whereby the Americans were made 
responsible for discipline within the camp without interference from 
the officials. 

In the Prison Camps After the Armistice 

Quickly following the signing of the Armistice the Y serving the 
troops in the combat zone was called into an unexpected ministry to 
thousands of returning war prisoners, British, French and American. 
To the released Russian prisoners who arrived in France, the Asso- 
ciation also brought special aid work which, at the time of writing, 
still continues. 

By sending additional secretaries to Germany, efforts were redoubled 
on behalf of the 600,000 Russians whose condition in the prison camps 
had become most desperate. And as many thousands of these half- 
starved and poorly clad Russians reached their homeland by long and 
weary marches, the Association in various centers came to their aid 
again. 

In Siberia, where the plight of the prisoners has been sad beyond 
description, the Y, through the permission of the State Department, 



WITH THE PRISONERS OF WAR 107 

IS again strengthening its forces to render a helping hand in the spirit 
of the Master. 

In all parts of Europe, prisoners of the World War returned to 
their homes in city or hamlet, carrying a new appreciation of the 
world-wide reach of Christian brotherhood, and of the meaning of 
the words: "I was in prison, and ye visited me." International 
friendships have been created which will bear fruit in the days to 
come. The spirit of America, at her best, of Christian America, has 
been interpreted to men of many races. 

Few can appreciate the strain of the monotonous and deadening 
routine of prison life. Those who have shared in the lot of the war 
prisoners have testified that thousands of lives have been literally saved 
from insanity, mental atrophy, and physical death by the stimulating 
effects of the Association's all-round program of activities, as well as 
by the relief efforts and the personal friendliness of the secretaries. 

A prisoner speaking at the opening of a Y M C A hut at Harth, 
Austria, voiced the feelings of thousands of his comrades when he said : 

"Many of us have already been behind barbed-wire fences for two 
years. We have suffered much, we were dying slowly the death of 
physical and spiritual attrition. We were revengefully disposed toward 
our guards and captors and we forged and vainly tried plans of escape. 
When life seemed darkest within these inclosures, there appeared like 
a heavenly messenger the secretary of the Young Men's Christian Asso- 
ciation. As he rallied us round himself and organized this work we 
took courage. Only since then have we lived. We forgot our sorrows, 
and the bitterness in our hearts against our guards and captors is dis- 
appearing. Now we wish to thank our Commandant that^he has per- 
mitted this day of joy. We wish to thank the secretaiy who worked 
here against great odds, and more than anything else, we wish to thank 
our unknown friends and members of the Association in America who 
thought of us in our loneliness, who came to us and by their gifts made 
this work possible." 

That the work of the Y M C A gained highest approval was made 
manifest by a letter of commendation which Herbert Bury, Bishop for 
North and Central Europe, wrote to the London "Times." He was 
possessed of especially fine opportunities for observing the Y work at 
first hand : 

"Will you allow me to offer my small tribute to the generosity of the 
American YMCA? In October, 1915, at the suggestion of the Arch- 
bishop of Canterbury, the War Office appointed me to superintend the 
social and religious work in the prisoners' camps in Great Britain and 
Ireland, and in all that work, important and responsible as it has been, I 
have had the unfailing support, financial and otherwise, of the American 
YMCA . . . They have also financed non-conformist ministers and 



108 PTAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

others who have appHed to them for their expenses in the neighborhood 
of different camps, met the expenses of Roman Cathohc clergy in poor 
neighborhoods, visiting their co-reHgionists, and have even found them 
the accessories of worship. 

"It would be difficult to speak in too appreciative terms — as no funds 
have been available for such work from the War Office — of the modest, 
generous and entirely unadvertising work of the American YMCA. I 
know of no other way than through the columns of the 'Times' to let the 
American people know how grateful we feel — for the Archbishop of 
Canterbury is with me in wishing to give it expression — for this great 
generosity, which has enabled us to try our best to do for our prisoners 
of war that which international law and Christian duty have alike re- 
quired." 



PART II 

Summary of Essential Facts and Figures from 
Headquarters Service Departments 

The field operations of the American Y M C A throughout the 
World War have been outlined in the preceding chapters. It is now 
necessary to summarize the War Work by Departments of Activities, — 
the machinery behind the field operations, under direction of the Head- 
quarters Organization. This includes: (1) Administration, — the or- 
ganization of all War Work; (2) Personnel, — the organizing of the 
working staff in Europe and America; (3) Construction and Equip- 
ment of huts and buildings on both continents ; (4) Entertainment for 
the soldiers at home and abroad ; (5) Athletics, — games and contests 
in the Armies; (6) Education, — books, periodicals, newspapers, 
schools, and classes throughout the Armies; (7) Post Exchange, — 
the operation of the Army canteens and stores for the soldiers; (8) 
Leave Areas, — the operation of hotels, restaurants, theaters for the 
soldiers on leave in the cities and towns of France ; (9) A E F Re- 
mittances, — conducting a banking and exchange business for the sol- 
diers, transmitting money to their homes; (10) Religious Work, — 
conducting church services and religious duties in the Armies on a 
non-sectarian basis; (11) Transportation of men and supplies; (12) 
Relationships, — cooperation with other welfare or relief organiza- 
tions; (13) Resources, — raising the funds necessary to support all the 
War activities; (14) Financial Statement of all receipts and ex- 
penditures. 

The operations of each of the afore-mentioned Activities are suf-- 
ficient to require a book for each department. We can give in these 
limited pages only a few basic facts and figures. As a foundation to 
these Activities let us consider a few fundamental facts relating to the 
Y M C A and Headquarters and Business Administration : 



I— ADMINISTRATION— THE ORGANIZATION OF 
ALL WAR WORK IN AMERICA AND ABROAD 

International Convention and International Committee 

The Young Men's Christian Association in America might be called 
a working federation of strictly independent units. Each local Asso- 
ciation is entirely responsible for its own work and no general organi- 
zation holds any authority over it. These separate units, however. 



110 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

unite for the extension of the Association, for mutual encouragement 
and assistance, and for the administration of certain common activi- 
ties. The International Convention of Young Men's Christian Asso- 
ciations — including those Associations in the United States and 
Canada which conform to the basis of membership set by the Con- 
vention — is the authoritative legislative body. The Convention elects 
the International Committee which is charged with the "supervision 
and extension" of the work. The International Committee's relation- 
ship to the local unit is purely advisory. Similarly, within a state 
there are organized state committees whose function is to assist the 
local Associations in a general manner and extend the work within 
the state. The International Convention has ruled that any local 
Association may deal directly with either the state or the Interna- 
tional Committee as occasion may require. 

World's Committee — Headquarters at Geneva 

National movem-ents such as those in Great Britain, France, the 
United States and Canada, are united in a world organization headed 
by the World's Committee with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. 

Emergency Action 

It is understood that the International Committee acts for the 
Association movement in the United States and Canada in any extraor- 
dinary emergency. The entrance of the United States into the World 
War was a national crisis of such a character that it justified offering 
the services of the whole Association to our Government. The Inter- 
national Committee then proceeded to organize the National War 
Work Council of Young Men's Christian Associations. This separate 
•organization was created largely for two reasons : First, the task 
projected was of such a character that every branch of the Association 
would be called upon to assist; it seemed wise to have that work 
conducted by a body representing directly local and state as well as 
the national bodies. Second, since it was self-evident that a large fund 
would have to be raised for War Work, a separate administration of 
that fund seemed desirable. 

National War Work Council in New York 

As stated in Part I of this handbook the National War Work 
Council was organized immediately upon America's entrance into 
the World War. It represented only the Associations of the United 
States. Previous to this the work of the Americans had been in con- 
junction with the Y M C A's in the Allied Nations and in camps of 
Prisoners of War. The British, Canadian, and other national Associa- 



THE ORGANIZATION OF ALL WAR WORK 111 

tions had been actively engaged in great independent achievements 
since the outbreak of the War in 1914 (see record in preceding pages). 
The general headquarters of the National War Work Council was 
established in New York. It developed its work through Executive 
and Finance Committees and a group of committees to supervise 
special aspects of work. The Overseas Department was intrusted 
with the general supervision of overseas operations of every kind. 
The increasing responsibilities of this Council, the accumulating 
duties which it volunteered to perform, its daily expansion with its 
increasing problems until it became a great business institution, 
carrying burdens never before required of a social welfare organiza- 
tion, are recorded in this report. Its duty was to cooperate with and 
to meet to the fullest degree within its resources the needs of the 
American Government and the Army in America and throughout 
the warring countries. Its labors were without precedent, and it 
was forced to act at all times on an emergency basis. 

Home Service of National War Work Council 

The Home Section of the Council was divided for purposes of 
administration into seven departments. Six of these corresponded 
approximately in name and area with the six military departments,— 
Northeastern, Eastern, Southeastern, Central, Southern, and 
Western. The seventh, the Department of Insular Possessions, in- 
cluded the West Indies, the Canal Zone, the Philippines, and also 
detached units in China and Guam and with the Atlantic Fleet at 
South American ports and on the Mexican coast. In each depart- 
ment there was established a complete administrative organization. 
This plan provided the decentralization necessary for prompt and 
efficient supervision of work for men in the service. These depart- 
mental organizations were also a basic part of the machinery for 
securing an adequate corps of workers and an adequate supply of 
funds for the War Work of the Y M C A. Local Associations and 
state committees in the departments working with the Department 
executives carried their full share of this vital responsibility. 

Foreign Service of National War Work Council 

The Government at Washington in the Spring of 1917 did not 
contemplate either the necessity or the possibility of transporting an 
American Army overseas in any great numbers until late Fall. After 
the visit of the British and French Mission, however, the plans of the 
United States were entirely changed. The emergency required that 
preparations be made for the rapid transport of men to France. 
This necessitated prompt action by the National War Work Council. 
Under this pressure the organization had to be developed on the 



112 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

basis of immediate expediency. As the number of troops increased, 
the Y headquarters set up a sound regional organization on which it 
placed the responsibility for the close supervision of the divisional 
Y organization. There were as stated above six regions in the conti- 
nental United States, each with an executive stafif. It was necessary 
to maintain the earlier divisional organization in order that troops in 
rapid movement could be accompanied as far as possible by their own 
secretaries. 

The work among Allied Armies and Prisoners of War was fi- 
nanced by the National War Work Council, but administered jointly 
by the War Work Council and the International Committee in the 
name of the latter. This varied work, involving contact with thirty 
different nationalities, was administered from New York with special 
field secretaries in charge of different branches of the work scattered 
over the world. American secretaries whose services were loaned 
to other YMCA movements worked under the general direction of 
those movements. 



II— PERSONNEL— RECRUITING AN ARMY OF 
WORKERS UNDER THE RED TRIANGLE 

A grand total of 25,926 workers served the Y M C A in the World 
War. Of these 12,971 were assigned as workers in the home camps; 
and 12,955 overseas. Women in overseas work numbered about 3480 
(2700 recruited in America), men 9475. In the home camps the divi- 
sion was: women 1665, men 11,305. To secure these an approximate of 
200,000 applicants volunteered. Those examined and accepted passed 
successively the local, state, departmental, and national personnel 
comimittees. 

The exact figures for personnel, based upon the Overseas Roster 
for Overseas personnel and upon the Headquarters (Findex) Register 
for Home Camps, are as follows : 

Allied Armies Total Grand 

• Home A E F and Prisoners Overseas Total 

Men 11306 8045 1430 9475 20781 

Women 1665 3401 79 3480 5145 

Total 12971 11446 1509 12955 . 25926 

These figures do not include the many thousands at home and 
abroad who rendered occasional volunteer service. 

Under Strict Military Intelligence Supervision 

This working organization consisted of staunch Americans in 
every walk of life, — successful business men and laborers, bankers 



RECRUITING AN ARMY OF WORKERS 113 

and mechanics, and professional men and women who desired to 
serve their country in this crisis. It was the first essential that this 
army of workers be recruited from those who were not eligible for 
military duty. Both the Military Intelligence and the Y M C A ex- 
amination boards investigated these conditions thoroughly, — no pass- 
ports were granted until every qualification was proved. Workers of 
all organizations at all times overseas were under the vigilance of both 
the Army Intelligence and the French Intelligence Department. 
Full qualifications, character endorsements, records of business and 
private life covering many years, and detailed personal facts, with 
photographs of each worker were sent to Washington, where the 
Military Intelligence Division of the War Department investigated the 
individual cases, before passports were granted. Duplicate informa-* 
tion was filed with the Intelligence Section in France, and a triplicate 
with the French Government. 

How the Workers Were Recruited 

Recruiting at first was in charge of a Personnel Bureau appointed 
by the National War Work Council. A policy of special recruit- 
ing through local Associations and churches was followed, the efifort 
being to secure trained Y M C A workers. The selected candidates 
were brought to New York for examination and approval by the 
Personnel Bureau. With the assumption of responsibility for the 
Post Exchange, late in September, 1917, it was seen that this method 
was not adequate and the sudden and unforeseen, speeding up of troops 
to France in April, 1918, found a new system organized and operating. 
This involved drastic decentralization. A War Personnel Board had 
been organized at Headquarters in January, 1918. Six departments 
corresponding to the administrative divisions of the War Department 
were established, each with a Personnel Committee, one member of 
which was also a member of the War Personnel Board. These de- 
partmental committees organized state committees, which, in turn, 
established local committees. It was the duty of the local committees 
to find candidates and make preliminary investigations in their home 
localities. Candidates recommended by the local committees were 
sifted through state and departmental committees, and only those 
whose qualifications stood repeated scrutiny were passed to New 
York for final decision. 

Unquestionable loyalty" and enthusiasm for winning the War 
were required by the Government. Freedom from liability to mili- 
tary service, combined with physical activity and vigor were ob- 
viously necessary. Exemption was not sought for men of military 
age, nor were such accepted imless having obvious physical defects. 
Men of German, Austrian, Turkish, and Bulgarian birth or parentage 



114 



WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 



or with relatives in enemy countries could not be accepted. For a 
long period workers with German names were not accepted. Later, 
this policy which had acted as a deterrent and kept many good people 
from going over was changed. 

The standards required were those of the best American citizen- 
ship. Proved character and ardent, unselfish eagerness to serve were 
indispensable. Fraternal spirit and ability for team work, initiative 
and adaptability were essential. 

All contracts were signed by the Chairman of the War Personnel 
Board, or deputy. Many enlisted for service during the War, or for 
at least one year. Some exceptionally desirable men were accepted 
for six months, and a few specialists called for by name by the execu- 
tives for even shorter periods of special service. A tabulation made 
March 1, 1919, of workers who had at that time returned to America 
showed that the average period of actual service overseas was 6.35 
months. Final figures will probably, show a higher average. 

Statistical Tables of the Y M C A Personnel 

Every state and territory in the Union furnished the YMCA 
workers, the leading states being as follows : 

State Ho 

New York 2042 

Pennsylvania 837 

New Jersey 

Massachusetts .... 

California 

Illinois 

Ohio 

Texas 

Indiana 

Georgia 



Cam] 


Ds Per Cent Overseas Per Cent 


Total 


Per Cent 


042 


15.7 2512 21.6 


4554 


18.2 


837 


6.5 877 7.2 


1714 


6.8 


931 


7.2 536 4.6 


1467 


5.9 


559 


4.3 894 7.7 


1453 


5.8 


779 


6.0 621 5.3 


1400 


5.6 


577 


4.5 787 6.7 


1364 


5.5 


544 


4.2 555 4.7 


1099 


4.4 


469 


3.6 207 1.8 


676 


2.7 


297 


2.3 358 3.1 


655 


2.6 


473 


3.6 175 1.5 


648 


2.6 



The overseas secretares were assigned among the different services 
as follows : 



A. E. F. SERVICE: 

France, etc 

Great Britain . . . 

Italy 

Siberia 



MEN 


WOMEN 


TOTAL 


7283 


3198 


10481 


541 


155 


696 


124 


17 


141 


97 


31 


128 



Total AEF 



8045 



3401 



11446 



ALLIED ARMIES AND PRISONERS OF WAR: 

France (Foyer du Soldat) 463 

*Russia 280 

*Italian Army 277 

*Chinese laborers 131 

♦Prisoners of War 72 

♦Mesopotamia 40 



79 



542 
280 
277 
131 
72 
40 



RECRUITING AN ARMY OF WORKERS 115 



*Czecho-Slovakia 40 

♦Poland 39 

♦India '. 34 

♦Egypt 26 

♦Portuguese Army 18 

♦Greece 10 



40 
39 
34 
26 
18 
10 



Total 1430 79 1509 

GRAND TOTALS 9475 3480 12955 



OVERSEAS SECRETARIES REGISTERED FROM THE FOLLOWING 

OCCUPATIONS: MEN WOMEN 

Accountants 198 26 

Advertising Business 1 1 

Architects 51 3 

Artists 98 81 

Attorneys and Lawyers 457 5 

Automobile Business 113 2 

Bankers 133 1 

Barbers 4 

Business 1360 116 

Chemists 6 

Cinema 48 

Clerks 276 182 

Dentists 42 3 

Druggists 26 

Educators 1435 949 

Engineers 161 1 

fEntertainers 390 593 

Factory Workers 2 

Farmers 103 16 

Florists 4 

Government Officials 41 7 

Hotel Employes 37 8 

Insurance 264 6 

Inventors 1 

Lecturers 38 

Librarians ... 58 

Manufacturers 87 1 

Mechanics 276 . : . 

Miners 6 

Ministers 1464 2 

Nurses 18 

Opticians 6 

Photographers 10 3 

Physical Directors 137 20 



♦These figures do not include the many British women who served the 
A E F as volunteers, nor the American residents and the wives of Secretaries 
in many countries who aided in the work with the Prisoners of War and the 
Allied Armies, nor do they take account of the fact that Secretaries with the 
A E F, both men and women, worked also for the Allied Troops and the 
Prisoners of War, whenever such opportunity came to them. 



fThis does not include professional actors and entertainers sent over 
specifically to give performances to the soldiers; it relates only to Overseas 
Y M C A Secretaries. 



116 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

Physicians 74 

Policemen 3 

Post Office Employes 34 

Printers 46 2 

Rabbi 1 

Railroad Men 50 

Real Estate- 33 

Salesmen 721 5 

Secretaries 29 216 

Social Workers 64 191 

Soldiers 17 

Statisticians 1 

Stenographers 23 199 

Students 109 24 

Undertakers 7 

Writers 182 68 

YMCA Secretaries 296 24 

Unclassified 510 649 

Total 9475 3480 

A glance at these figures reveals that the personnel was drawn 
largely from business and professional sources. The regular YMCA 
secretaries were seventh in the number of recruits furnished. As 
the funds which made the work possible were contributed by the 
American people, so the working force was representative of the na- 
tion, and not of any group or organization exclusively. 

The nationality of 96.7 per cent of the secretaries was American, 
and 2.4 per cent British, less than one per cent being of non-English 
speaking race. 

In addition to the regular uniformed workers there were whole 
and part time volunteers and civilian employes, whose number can- 
not be definitely determined. In the overseas work, at least 3000 
men and women gave service to American soldiers through the Y. 
These included persons of wealth and leisure, and persons who gave of 
their scanty and hard-earned rest time, as, for example, the English 
working girls who took the Saturday night and Sunday shifts at 
"Eagle Hut" in London. The doors of these huts were never closed, 
and the canteen served meals at any hour of night or day. They do 
not include recruits from Army and other sources. Nearly 500 
soldiers were recruited after the Armistice mainly classified under 
their civil occupations, as well as a large number of women resident 
in France or released from Red Cross and other relief or welfare 
service. Thousands more served part time in the home camps in the 
United States. 

The figures in all the foregoing tables are grand totals. It must 
be understood that at no time was the full force in simultaneous 
action. It was subject to constant arrivals, releases and replace- 
ments. The maximum strength of American Y workers overseas at 
any one time is estimated at 7000, of which 6000 were in France. 



RECRUITING AN ARMY OF WORKERS 117 

Compensation of Y M C A Workers 

Compensation of workers was strictly on a service basis. No 
man, however important his work, received more than the equivalent 
of his normal wages in civil life. In home camps the standard for un- 
married men was $1000 a year; for married, $1200, with a maximum 
of $1500. Executives were paid on a scale corresponding to pay of 
Army officers with corresponding duties up to the rank of Major at 
$3000. For overseas service a standard sum, $60 a month, was written 
in to all contracts signed in New York. In case living costs at post 
of service demanded, this sum might be increased after assignment 
overseas to a maximum of $120. The standard maximum family 
allowance, in case such allowance was needed, was $100 a month. If 
more were needed in any case, the need was carefully scrutinized, and 
the desirability of the candidate considered by the New York Com- 
mittee, which alone had power to grant an allowance in excess of $100. 

Workers were equipped at the expense of the Y M C A with uni- 
forms and whatever articles not ordinarily used that were required. 
The average cost of equipment was, for men $225; for women $215. 
Transportation expenses were paid. 

Transportation Problems 

Transportation to France and England presented serious problems. 
Every foot of shipping space was needed for fighting men and sup- 
plies. Except for secretaries who served troops on the voyage, usually 
two to a ship, there was no room for welfare workers on transports. 
The main reliance was on space released by the Government on 
commercial liners, controlled by the Shipping Board. Such releases 
were made only a few hours before sailing time. It was the prac- 
tice to keep a group of 50 to 250 secretaries at Headquarters on sail- 
ing days, papers ready and baggage packed. When the desired 
message came, the stated number of men, with a few extra "on specu- 
lation," were started on a race to the Custom House for embarkation 
passes and thence to Hoboken. 

The Transportation Department kept a hawk-like watch on ship- 
ping up and down the coast, and often discovered ships apparently 
overlooked by the Shipping Board. Men were sent to Philadelphia, 
Boston, Portland, St. John, Montreal and Quebec — wherever a boat 
could accommodate even one man. Sometimes steamers from South 
America through the Panama Canal put in to Newport News for 
coal, and parties were rushed aboard. The men accepted accommo- 
dations of any class, and sometimes served as stewards or kitchen 
scullions — anything to get to France. So successful was the director 



118 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

of the Y's Transportation Department that he was asked to become 
chairman of transportation for all the war work organizations. 

Military Investigations for Passports 

Military necessity required, for obvious reasons, that thorough 
investigations be made into the records of every social welfare worker 
permitted to enter the War Zone, Persons moving about among 
the troops would see and hear much about military strength and 
movements, supplies, arms, communications and the like, which would 
be of inestimable value. The safety of the whole Army and the cause 
required that it be guarded with the most scrupulous care. Respon- 
sibility for authorizing the issuance of passports (by the State De- 
partment) rested with the War Department. The YMCA made 
most thorough and careful investigation of every candidate. The 
War Department made its independent investigations which assured 
double security. It .could not issue the necessary clearance except 
upon the results of its own independent investigation. That the 
YMCA investigation was competent and searching was proved by 
the fact that the Military Intelligence Bureau passed with very few 
exceptions those who were accepted by the Y. 

These investigations, coA^ering men and women from every part 
of the country, necessarily consumed much time. The recruiting 
committees supplied candidates faster than they could be cleared. 
The Y did all it could to cooperate. It established an ofifice in Wash- 
ington and loaned a number of clerks to the War Department to 
assist in the clerical work. On July 11, 1918, just before the Second 
Battle of the Marne, when the demand for workers with the A E F 
was urgent, there were approximately 1500 candidates accepted by 
the YMCA awaiting clearance. On July 31, the number reached 
2381, and 900 of these were in New York ready to sail as soon as 
passports should be issued. On August 21 there were 3424 names 
in the files of the Military Intelligence Bureau. As late as October 
31, the number was more than 3000, and of these 1000 had been in 
the files more than a month and 150 more than three months. On 
November 20— following the Armistice — the War Department de- 
cided that its separate investigation was no longer necessary and that 
it would act on the reports of YMCA investigators. Thus, not 
until after the Armistice was the congestion relieved and an adequate 
supply of workers enabled to proceed to France. 

The consequences to the work of this situation must be obvious. 
At no time from the beginning of July, 1918, until after the Armistice 
did the YMCA have 50 per cent of the quota called for by its 
minimum estimate of workers necessary to perform the work as- 



HUTS— THE ARMIES' ''HOME" 119 

signed to it, and most of its workers were trying desperately to do 
the work of two. There was no other course open than to do the 
best possible under the stern conditions imposed by a state of war. 

Died — Wounded — Decorated in Service 

The loyal devotion to duty and the service rendered by the 
Y M C A workers is best ascertained by the records : 276 died and 
wounded in the service; 355 decorated, cited, and commended. Of 
the dead and wounded, 218 were casualties overseas, 58 at home. 
Killed in the battle zone 9; wounded and gassed in battle zone 126; 
died of wounds and accidents 15; and the remainder of the casualties 
from injuries, operations, etc. 

A full list of decorations and citations is given in the appendix 
of this handbook. It is further of value to note that the delinquency 
in discipline and efficiency in this overseas Red Triangle Army of 
12,000, was, according to disciplinary records, a fraction of less than 
one per cent for insubordination and all other infractions of military 
and civil rules, a remarkable record even in civil life, and especially re- 
markable under the stress and strain of war. 



Ill— HUTS— THE ARMIES' '^HOME" AND THE 
SOLDIERS^ '*CLUB" 

The American Doughboy 

A contributing cause to America's triumph in the World War 
was the high morale of the troops — the unconquerable spirit of the 
x\merican soldier. It was to assist in maintaining this spirit; to the 
highest pitch, to help render the men "fit to fight," that the Y M C A 
threw itself into the struggle. 

The Y huts were "home" for all they were able to accommodate of 
the two million men Overseas and for more than two million men in 
America. It would be impossible to describe in detail the innumerable 
tasks performed for our soldiers, all with one object in view — the en- 
couragement and promotion of that indefinable force knoivn as morale. 

The Y erected and operated for the American Army over 4000 
"huts" or gathering places — soldiers' "homes" and "clubs" — at a cost of 
over $20,000,000 for construction and equipment. It then expended 
more than $73,000,000 on activities and free services in these huts or 
directly radiating from them — in addition to the expenditures for Post 
Exchanges and canteens. 

The Y operated 90 per cent of all the social welfare huts and 
similar establishments with the A E F; the Red Cross huts and hos- 



120 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

pitals were for an entirely independent sphere of work along relief 
lines. 

In America — 952 wooden buildings were constructed and equipped 
by the Y at a total cost of $8,338,317. 

In France and Germany the number of Y huts operated has not 
yet been ascertained with exactitude. All figures reported are under- 
estimates. In February, 1919, there were being operated in France 
and Germany 2505 huts. Of these 431 were specially constructed 
wooden buildings, 538 rented buildings, 579 Army billets or tempo- 
rary quarters, and 957 tents, but several thousands of huts had been 
previously opened, equipped, operated for periods varying from days 
to months, and evacuated as the military population moved out. A 
total of $11, 697,490 was expended in France and Germany on huts 
alone. 

Over 100 hotels and cafes were operated in France and Germany 
for American officers and soldiers, the yearly rental of which was 
in excess of 3,000,000 francs. 

In the United Kingdom — 154 huts were operated. Of these 47 
were permanent buildings, 37 huts, 33 rented quarters, and 37 build- 
ings furnished rent free by the British YMCA, Government, or 
civilians. 

To Give the Boys a Gathering Place 

In carrying out this work the aim and apex of the whole organi- 
zation was the "hut." Everything was centered in the desire to 
make the Y camps both at home and abroad take the place of the 
American home, school, club, stage, and church. The "hut" in 
hundreds of cases was a large, commodious, especially designed 
wooden building, uniquely fitted to be the center of the social life 
of the military community. In the cities of France and England ft 
was often a luxuriously furnished private dwelling, chateau, or hotel. 
At the front, near the firing line, it was often nothing more than a 
half demolished building, a barn, a cellar, or a dug-out, but wherever 
the Red Triangle was displayed it was still a "hut," the connecting 
link between the soldiers and their homes. The extent to which this 
service was appreciated by the soldiers is illustrated by the fact that 
more than 400,000,000 visits were paid to the huts in the Home 
Camps alone. 

Organization Behind Construction of Y Huts in America 

When war was declared in April, 1917, the YMCA realized that 
in providing huts for the large army about to be mobilized it was 
confronted with no light task. It at once set about to build an 



HUTS— THE ARMIES' "HOME" 121 

organization necessary to carry out the work. On April 7, 1917, 
the Building Bureau of the International Committee met in the 
drafting rooms of that Bureau and drew up plans for the first hut to 
be erected at the Officers' Training Camp at Plattsburg, N. Y. On 
April 28, 1917, the National War Work Council had its first meeting 
and instituted the Bureau of Materials whose duty it was to supply 
buildings and equipment for the American camps. As the magni- 
tude of the work grew, this Bureau was divided into the Bureau 
of Construction and the Bureau of Equipment. To facilitate super- 
vision and speed of construction. Supervisors of" Construction were 
appointed, one for each of the six Military Departments. These 
men had the authority to negotiate contracts and push construction 
as rapidly as possible. Each supervisor had under him in every 
camp a camp mechanic and in each building a Building Custodian. 

Great Chain of Huts in American Camps 

From nine to fourteen buildings were erected in each of the 
* National Army cantonments, while in National Guard Camps six 
was the average number. In the typical cantonment there would 
be an auditorium, an administrative building, from five to seven 
service buildings, a garage, and possibly a base hospital building. 
The ideal was one hut for each regiment, but as the early financial 
situation made it necessary to keep down the number of buildings, 
accommodation for 5000 men was adopted as an arbitrary unit. 

In the large cities, such as New York and Washington and at 
embarkation points, special huts of elaborate design were erected. 
Typical of these are the "Eagle" and "Victory" Huts in New York 
and the "Hudson" Hut at Hoboken. Each of these huts was capa- 
ble of serving from 3,000 to 5,000 men a day. 

The following table indicates the number and cost of the build- 
ings in the various Military Departments in the United States: 

Total Buildings Total 

Department of All Kinds Investment 

Northeastern 50 $528,607.85 

Eastern 228 2,529,546.34 

Southeastern 205 1,207,450.21 

Central 176 1,708,669.33 

Southern 219 1,000,663.33 

Western 74 724,047.69 

Troop Transportation and Miscellaneous 

Equipment 639,332.35 

Total 952 $8,338,317.10 



122 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

Erecting a Chain of Huts Through France 

The construction problem overseas was radically different from 
that in America. In this country it was simply a matter of construct- 
ing standard buildings in many large camps and cantonments. In 
France it was necessary to serve troops stationed in camps varying in 
size from 50 to 30,000 men. The Y found itself in the contracting and 
construction business on a big scale. It was necessary to design many 
types of buildings in order that economy might be exercised in filling 
the needs of each. In permanent camps, wooden huts of elaborate 
design were constructed. If troops were located in a large city, such 
as Tours or Bordeaux, private dwellings and hotels were utilized, 
though even in the large cities a great many huts had to be built to 
supplement the work in existing dwellings and hotels,. In the billet- 
ing areas, where the men were grouped in small units, simple huts 
were erected and army billets were used. The mobile units and 
divisions were housed in tents, barracks, and when at the front, in 
dugouts. Due to the scarcity of building materials, of transportation, 
and of labor, the Y did its best to secure substitutes for the actual • 
construction of buildings, but where substitutes could not be found, 
felt completely justified from the point of view of military necessity, 
in using such timber as could be secured for the construction of its 
recreation centers. 

The work in France was centered in the Construction Department, 
with headquarters at Paris. All orders for huts and all contracts 
for manufacture were cleared through that central office. The erec- 
tion of huts in the field was handled by secretaries assigned by the 
Construction Department to the several regions and responsible to 
the Regional Construction Secretary for the erection and maintenance 
of huts in the region to which they were attached. The Equipment 
Department in Paris provided for the equipment of all huts. It was 
closely connected with the Construction Department and was at one 
time a part of it. A special bureau known as the Real Estate Bureau 
of the Legal Department was set up to handle all leases and rentals ; 
these under French law and custom presented many features strange 
to Americans. 

Problems of Material and Labor in Erecting Huts 

The general shortage of building materials of all kinds, labor, and 
transportation, which was so acute in Europe, made the construction 
of adequate housing a very great problem. Four armies had been 
draining Europe, and especially France, for over three years. During 
the first few months in France the American Army needed 130,000,000 
feet of lumber and had only 30,000,000 feet in sight. The French 



HUTS— THE ARMIES' "HOME" 123 

and British armies were also drawing upon the slender lumber re- 
sources of the continent. Since the needs of the armies were naturally 
considered first, the Y M C A was left to its own resources to secure 
materials for its buildings. To avert an absolute famine, a repre- 
sentative was sent to Switzerland in January, 1918, to purchase 
lumber. He succeeded in getting into France, before the end of the 
month, 996 cubic meters (approximately 422,000 feet board measure) 
of rough and milled lumber, but even this large order was only a 
beginning. 

The Y M C A then looked into the question of manufacturing its 
own lumber. The matter was taken up with the Army and an agree- 
ment reached whereby it was to supply the Y with the raw material 
for a sawmill, provided the Association would furnish the mill. Two 
sawmills were bought, one each in England and America, and turned 
over to the Army; by this arrangement, green lumber equivalent 
to the output of these mills was furnished the Y. This opened the 
way to further Army aid. When the Army forestry operations be- 
came established a large quantity of lumber was turned over to the Y. 

Transportation Problem in Erecting Y Huts 

The transportation problem was almost as great as that of ma- 
terials. During periods of military emergency there was an abso- 
lute embargo on Y M C A shipments. At all times it was necessary 
to secure transportation orders from the French Government before 
a shipment could be made. Many cars of hut materials were delayed 
for weeks in transit or lost altogether. Of the 25 huts shipped to 
Brest alone, three were lost in transit. 

Manufacture of Huts to Meet Demands 

The Construction Department relied on three principal sources 
for the production of its huts: First, French contractors; second, its 
own factories ; and third, local construction by Y M C A secretaries. 

Sixty-five per cent of all huts built were manufactured on French 
contracts. Plans were submitted to the contractors and the huts were 
fabricated in the shops in sections, sent to the field, and set up by 
Army details. The French firms always depended on the Y to fur- 
nish them with orders for the transportation of materials to and from 
the factories, as well as purchase orders and other Government con- 
cessions. Very often the Y was obliged to furnish nails, bolts, roof- 
ing paper, etc., to enable the contractors to live up to their agreements. 

Y Was Forced to Open Its Own Factories 

In March, 1918, the Y M C A opened a factory for the manufac- 
ture of huts at Champagnole, in the Jura mountains. This factory 



124 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

produced 41 huts during its year of operation at a cost of 45.80 
francs per square meter against an average cost of 87 francs per 
square meter. A second factory was opened at Bordeaux in June, 
1918. Besides a large quantity of equipment this factory produced 
24 huts during the ten months it operated, at a cost of 61.25 francs 
per square meter. 

Twenty-one per cent of the huts built in France were constructed 
locally by Y construction men from materials either secured locally 
or shipped directly to the field. The cost of this kind of construction 
was 78.10 francs per square meter. 

Four hundred and ninety-one demountable huts were built and 
1045 tents were erected in France at a total cost of 27,860,000 francs. 
These structures were capable of accommodating 1,141,000 men daily. 

Equipment of Overseas Huts 

In order properly to equip its huts overseas the Y set up a special 
department known as the Hut Equipment Department. It was the 
function of this department to determine upon standard equipment 
for the several types of huts, purchase the same in wholesale quan- 
tities and distribute equitably to the huts. After much experimenta- 
tion a standard equipment was decided upon which included some 90 
articles, including tables, benches, chairs, games, musical instruments, 
canteen and kitchen equipment, stoves, etc. 

A shortage of this material existed in France, especially of tables, 
chairs, stoves, and wet canteen equipment. Purchase agents were 
sent to Switzerland, Spain, and England. A large order of chairs 
was finally placed in Spain. Deliveries of this order were delayed 
on account of embargoes and importation regulations. Pianos, and 
cauldrons for preparing hot chocolate were secured in England. 
Stoves and stove pipe were imported from the United States. For 
tables and benches the Equipment Department placed orders with 
French contractors and with factories operated by the Construction 
Department. Purchase agents were sent throughout the whole of 
France. By buying small quantities of the necessary material here 
and there a sufficient amount of material was collected to fill all 
orders. The Equipment Department expended for equipment and 
decoration of the huts in France 9,165,000 francs. 

Construction in United Kingdom 

The construction work of the United Kingdom was handled in- 
dependently by the Construction Department in London. Valuable 
aid was rendered by the British YMCA and much lumber was fur- 
nished by the American Army, thus reducing to a large extent the 



KEEPING UP THE SPIRITS OF THE TROOPS 125 

problems that beset the Y in France. The two most elaborate huts 
in existence — the "Eagle Hut" on the Strand and "Washington Inn" 
in St. James' Square — were built in London from plans drawn up by 
the British Y. (See page 22.) Besides the work in cities, considerable 
construction was carried on in the aviation and rest camps. 



IV— ENTERTAINMENT— KEEPING UP THE 
SPIRITS OF THE TROOPS 

Entertaining Armies at Home and Abroad 

The Entertainment Service carried through for the American 
Army, at home and overseas, reached immense proportions — the 
most extensive ever made for any army, at any time, in the history 
of the world. In two years the Y M C A created an organization for 
entertaining and amusing the Army which ultimately became recog- 
nized as being as indispensable to the social Welfare of soldiers in 
modern scientific warfare as were the departments which fed and 
clothed them to their material welfare. The result showed the most 
skeptical military critic : first, that an elaborate entertainment organi- 
zation could be adapted to almost all varieties of conditions in the 
field ; and second, that such a service on such a scale is of inestimable 
value in keeping up the spirits of the troops. 

This is the positive result; on the other side of the ledger may be 
put the claim that for every evening of wholesome relaxation there 
was just so much less unwholesome relaxation. The Entertainment 
Service took the only virile course; it beat the distractions of war- 
time at their own game. 

Let us estimate this value with appropriate figures — -the totals 
are surprising. 

To put through this great work the Y organized the biggest 
theatrical enterprise in the history of amusements. It mobilized a 
personnel of 1470 entertainers (augmented by an estimate of 15,000 
soldier-entertainers) for overseas service alone; while in the home 
camps many times this number volunteered their services to the 
Y stage. These entertainers included a large proportion of the best 
known dramatic and musical artists in the United States. It has been 
estimated that 20,000 professionals and non-professionals made ap- 
pearances in the home camps. 

It gave upward of 220,000 separate performances to the soldiers 
with an approximate attendance overseas of 88,000,000, and more 
than 48,000,000 at home. 

It provided overseas alone 23,000 costimies and accessories, 18,000 
musical instruments, and 450,000 pieces of sheet music. 



126 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

It sent out stock companies and soldier shows throughout the 
area of the American Army. It organized four great "play factories" 
which were centers for rehearsals, and costume equipment. 

It improvised plays and vaudeville acts. 

It trained or assisted more than 4000 soldiers to entertain their 
own troops with soldier shows, it being estimated that 15,000 soldiers 
appeared in entertainment service. 

It sent 135 trained "song leaders" to France, 1000 athletic direc- 
tors were also trained as song leaders and augmented the service at 
home and overseas. 

It sent 200 lecturers to France — among them some of the most 
eminent public speakers in America. 

It ran in the Leave Areas and important cities behind the fighting 
line the largest circuit of casinos and amusement halls ever admin- 
istered under one management. 

It gave overseas 157,000 movie shows aggregating over 8,000,000 
feet, or more than 1500 miles of film. The aggregate attendance at 
these movie shows overseas alone (between April, 1918, and July, 
1919) was over 94,000,000 at 5261 different places. 

It is estimated that in the United States and overseas the gross 
attendance at motion picture shows reached 210,000,000. 

This was all absolutely free of cost to the soldiers. If, as under 
ordinary conditions, the soldier had paid a minimum admission fee 
of ten cents it would have cost the soldiers the sum of $21,000,000 
to attend these motion picture shows, and at even the same low 
admission price for vaudeville and other entertainment, in excess 
of $13,000,000 more. 

The net expenditure of the YMCA to provide this huge enter- 
prise exceeded $7,000,000, and this was augmented by gratuitous or 
underpaid services which at usual professional costs would have 
doubled this expenditure. 

Beginning of a Notable American Enterprise 

When America entered the War, the idea of Army entertainment 
had already been developed with splendid results in the British and 
French armies. The American Army in the Spring and Summer of 
1917 was in the process of reorganization and building up ; throughout 
the Summer the city Associations of the YMCA were the fixed 
points at which most of the entertainment initiative developed. They 
acted as the first clearing houses for volunteer entertainers. 

As the number of YMCA volunteers grew, six divisions were 
created in the country at large, corresponding to the military depart- 
ments. A central booking house came to exist in each of these six 
sections, of which, naturally, the largest was in New York. At first, 



KEEPING UP THE SPIRITS OF THE TROOPS 127 

professional entertainers were the chief volunteers ; at the Summer 
camps especially, the entertainment programs read like those of a 
regular New York season; but as the service widened, the great re- 
sources and the spontaneous approach of an army of amateur volun- 
teers developed. Small bands of Y volunteers began to be allocated to 
the districts in which they lived. Thus arose the beginnings of the 
organization whereby the soldiers, getting in touch with their own 
camp entertainment committees, began to entertain themselves ; and 
by the Fall of 1917 the big, enthusiastic soldier audiences had come 
to stay. 

Organization — The Men Behind the Achievement 

The man who first visualized the idea of this rapidly growing 
organization was Thomas S. McLane, who established offices in 
New York, at the urgent request of the Paris office of the Y, in 
order to lay the foundations of an entertainment service covering 
the entire operations of the American Army. The field secretaries 
in the camps at home and in France provided the ready-made or- 
ganization circuit ; from the new headquarters were to come the 
entertainers, and from there was to be built up the supply service 
of musical instruments and stage equipment, with the tons of rouge 
and grease paint that did their bit in helping the modern doughboy 
to fight. War camp entertainment tours were an old story with our 
Allies ; the Y had received valuable training in the Mexican Border 
campaign, and the early units sent abroad, like the Francis Rogers 
unit, provided the initial experiment. One of the early recruits of 
the work thus newly visualized was John Craig ; his unit went to 
France in February, 1918, and its successful tour acted as an informal 
opening of the field. 

Over There Theater League — Professional Actors in the War 

The enthusiasm with which the American actors — the whole 
American stage — volunteered to go to the front is one of the great 
chapters in the War, which in itself is now being recorded in a 
book. E. H. Sothern and Winthrop Ames went over to France 
in the Winter of 1917-18 to study the situation from the theatrical 
side. On their return the Over There Theater League was formed 
at a remarkable meeting in the Palace Theater, New York, on April 
23, 1918; this meeting is an important event in dramatic history — 
practically every celebrated actor in America volunteered for the 
service. The whole theatrical world wanted to go "over there." 

The eminent American dramatist, James Forbes, was appointed 
in charge of recruiting in America for the Over There Theater League. 



128 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

The crisis in transport following Germany's great offensive inter- 
fered seriously with their plans to get the personnel they had mobil- 
ized over to France. Many of their troupes toured the camps at 
home while waiting. But by August 1, they had begun to send recruits 
abroad in large numbers. They provided the medium whereby some 
454 professional entertainers, actors, opera singers, magicians, jugglers, 
comedians, dancers, musicians, and playwrights, as well as technical 
men such as stage directors, dramatic coaches, advance men, and 
theater managers, added their invaluable professional aid to the great 
enterprise in France. Vaudeville teams went over in large numbers, 
and each entertainment unit, professional and amateur, was organ- 
ized on the basis of a complete evening's program. The cooperation 
and goodwill of the whole American theatrical profession, including 
that of all the well-known theatrical producers in America, was 
thus, through Y cooperation with the Over There Theater League, 
put at the service of the American Army. 



The Army Shows in France 

The Over There Theater League and the Overseas Entertainment 
Bureau sent 1470 men and women entertainers to France. The 
next step was to make the most of their services in the great area 
of operations which was covered by the American Army in the Fall 
of 1918. The first units pivoted on Paris; they "looped the loop" 
on the French railways, all of which center in the capital, covered 
a certain area of the front or the Services of Supply, and came back 
to Paris. Later the regional system enabled them to be routed much 
more thoroughly over a local territory administered by a Y regional 
director, who booked them up and kept them moving over his field 
for two and three months at a time. With the fluctuating movements 
of combat troops especially, this flexible system worked splendidly. 
In many cases troops came out of the line for two or three days to 
find a strong entertainment unit waiting just behind them in the 
field, which took hold at once and gave many shows a day right up to 
the moment when the command came to reenter the line. The last 
civilians the soldiers saw, in such cases, were the Y entertainment 
units, and the men went into battle with their songs on their lips. 

In the base areas the programs were of a more settled character; 
here full-fledged theaters and impromptu vaudeville houses grew 
up with stock companies and regular weekly attractions. In Paris 
alone, 2963 performances were given to audiences aggregating over 
1,800,000. Later this work grew to huge proportions. 

At one time, in May, 1919, there were over 700 soldier shows alone 
on circuit, practically all organized and coached by Y experts. 



KEEPING UP THE SPIRITS OF THE TROOPS 129 

ranging in character from amateur troupes of a dozen men to finished 
productions like that of the famous Argonne Players. 

The entertainment activities for fourteen days (April 27-May 
10, 1919) in the whole area of the Services of Supply were reported 
to comprise 5706 separate shows, playing to audiences of 3,549,946 
persons. In Le Mans alone, during the week ending May 3, the 
Entertainment Service gave 660 shows attended by 574,111 men, in 
an area whose military population was just under 175,000. The 
stock companies at Tours, St. Aignan, Brest, and other places, in- 
cluding many well-known players, some of whom had served at the 
front in the War, became famous throughout the American Army. 

Entertainers like Elsie Janis, whose tireless pilgrimage over many 
sectors of the American Front will never be forgotten, won special 
personal gratitude which can only be recognized in a much more 
elaborate statement. The splendid company of players and enter- 
tainers sent over by James Forbes, the chief of the Over There The- 
ater League, rendered a service whose part in sustaining the uncon- 
querable morale of the American soldier can never adequately be 
estimated. 

Famous Casinos Become Soldiers' Playgrounds 

With the long period of the Armistice the Leave Areas became 
more than ever the soldiers' vacation centers ; here the Entertainment 
Section created a complete change of environment in harmony with 
the holiday spirit. The great casinos such as those at Aix-les-Bains 
and Nice ran day and night with French attractions which added 
the last touch to the perfect atmosphere of these ideal resorts. Be- 
sides running casinos, music halls, and theaters in all the leave 
areas on this basis, the Y also arranged with the French civil author- 
ities in each area an elaborate and spontaneous series of social parties 
and private entertainments at French homes. This was also done 
at Paris and elsewhere in France, but nowhere was there such gen- 
erous and widespread cooperation in gracious hospitality by the 
French as in the leave areas. 

The Y also added to its other facilities the attractions sought be- 
fore the War by thousands of tourists, such as the Alpine sports 
at Chamonix under Mont Blanc, the special trips around Paris, and 
its service at Monte Carlo, Menton, and other towns in the most 
famous of all the leave areas, that of the Riviera. 

Entertaining the Third Army , 

The American Army of Occupation in the Rhineland was prob- 
ably the most prodigally entertained army in the history of the world. 



130 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

Following are some of the entertainment features provided by the 
YMCA during the six and a half months beginning December 15, 
1919: 

Performances given 7654 

By regular entertainers 2719 

By soldier shows 4935 

Shows on tour 214 

Entertainment units 68 

Soldier shows 146 

Personnel 3377 

Regular entertainers 273 , 

Officers 138 

Soldiers 2966 

Costumes 17,478 

Theaters and Show Places 492 

The Third Army had a complete theatrical organization, to which 
was added its own stock company, its own play factory, and its 
technical plant where stage equipment, curtains, etc., were made 
for twelve full-time shows. Three circuses were among its typical 
side attractions, and the Fest Halle in Coblenz, opened in January, 
1919, with over 80 separate activities going all the time, and a record 
of 1236 professional and soldier talent shows between its opening 
and the end of June, was probably the most elaborate and success- 
ful single amusement enterprise ever utilized by an army. 

With the Palais de Glace in Paris and the famous Cirque de 
Paris, together seating 9000 persons, crowded night after night in 
Paris with boxing, movie shows, and high class entertainment ; with 
the Victory Theater at Genicart, near Bordeaux, also seating 6000, 
the great casinos of the leave areas, and the Army-constructed the- 
aters at Brest, St. Aignan, St. Sulpice, Marseilles, etc., and with 
the hundreds of huts and halls scattered elsewhere — the Y entertain- 
ment establishment is estimated to have gathered under its mul- 
tifarious roofs during April, 1919, an average nightly attendance of 
between 350,000 and 400,000, or ten million a month. As a contribu- 
tion toward keeping up the spirit of a modern army this achievement 
stands unparalleled. 

French Vaudeville Acts 

French vaudeville as a leading feature of entertainment in the 
Leave Areas was developed to a high degree of efficiency by Joseph 



KEEPING UP THE SPIRITS OF THE TROOPS 131 

I. Bond assisted by L. Soccodato and became a special section of the 
Entertainment Department. For the various acts which included 
acrobats, gymnasts, dancers, ventriloquists, etc., 250 artists, 230 musi- 
cians with orchestras, and 140 stage hands, etc., total 620, were en- 
gaged. Ninety-six acts were supplied at a total cost of 7585 francs 
per night. Complete programs of French vaudeville, including from 
six to twelve acts were given at the principal Leave Areas in 1918 
and 1919, aggregating 1236 performances. It was estimated that 
from 800,000 to 1,000,000 men were entertained, the ingenious perform- 
ances of the P'rench actors being received with enthusiasm by the 
American doughboys. 

Cinema Service of the Y 

The Cinema Department carried the Y motion picture service 
not only throughout the American Army areas at home and in 
France, but also served British Army recreation huts, the Foyer du 
Soldat in the French Army, the Italian soldiers' huts, the Chinese 
labor battalions, and the Polish, Russian, and Czech troops in Europe. 
It followed the American forces to Archangel and Siberia, and went 
into Serbia, Greece, Egypt, and Armenia. In France alone to Ameri- 
can audiences it gave over 150,000 performances in locations ranging 
from the big amusement huts of the permanent areas to the white- 
washed walls of village barns where the projectors covered a divi- 
sional area on Ford trucks. The average attendance was 600, and 
the total audiences mounted to 94,000,000. 

The personnel utilized to carry on this extensive service for the 
American troops was as follows: 

Y Secretaries in charge of programs 561 

Y Operators, drivers, mechanics, etc 775 

Community Motion Picture Bureau employes 115 

French civilian employes 75 



1526 



The total number of permanent and portable machines used at 
home and abroad exceeded 1000, and the amount of money spent was 
over $4,500,000. This sum was expended on moving picture perform- 
ances given absolutely free to the Army. 

The Community Motion Picture Bureau, both in America and 
in France, put its distributing and technical organization, through 
the Y, at the disposal of the Army, beginning early in 1918, and 
deserves credit for the high standard of films, in many cases first 
releases, provided for the relatively high level of taste among America's 
citizen soldiers. 



132 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

The service had many valuable by-products, such as the installa- 
tion of Delco lighting, which solved the lighting problem in many 
barracks, Y huts, and obscure little French villages. 

The pictures from "home" kept the men conscious of their ties 
back in America. The news events on the screen, week after week, 
featured unforgettably the familiar scenes and the spirit of devo- 
tion with which the home folks were following them. One series 
of pictures even showed the faces of wives and mothers from their 
own towns. The whole spirit of America was cast up before them. 

The Lecture Bureau 

The Lecture Bureau was instituted, organized and developed 
through the Entertainment Department. In reality, lectures consti- 
tuted the first form of entertainment. The lecture work was trans- 
ferred to the Educational Department in October, 1918, and at the 
death of G. D. Brooks, reverted to the Entertainment Department, 
May, 1919. Nearly all lecture arrangements were booked through 
the Entertainment Department, (see page 125). 

"Race to Berlin" 

The Entertainment Department also devised and put into oper- 
ation the plan for expediting work among the men of the Services of 
Supply, known as the "Race to Berlin," (see page 188). 



V— ATHLETICS— BUILDING UP THE FIGHTING 

FORCES 

"Every Man in the Game" — The Y Slogan 

Modern athletics in warfare as known in the American Army 
today, and as adopted by many of the armies of Europe, is a direct 
development upon foundations laid by the YMCA. Under the orders 
of General Pershing, and in full cooperation with the Army, the Y 
organized in the World War the greatest series of athletic activities 
of all kinds, put the most individual participants into the game, and 
gathered the largest army of spectators ever before handled under a 
single management in the annals of sport — all for the purpose of mak- 
ing the men "fit to fight" as a direct factor in winning the War and 
keeping them "fit to go home" when the War ended. 

A grand total exceeding 170,000,000, including 75,000,000 partici- 
pants and 95,000,000 spectators is the record of the Y games in the 
World War. 



BUILDING UP THE FIGHTING FORCES 133 

In the A E F more than 33,000,000 took part in games under Y 
supervision, which were attended by 40,000,000 spectators. The Army 
in France, which averaged during this period 1,200,000, was thus 
served more than sixty times over. 

During three months (January 1 to April 1, 1919), when the Y 
program reached its maximum, there were 19,000,000 participants in 
these games against 14,000,000 spectators, thus impressively living 
up to the Y principle — "Every man in the game." 

More than 10,000,000 watched the Army baseball games in Amer- 
ica and France, or more than twice as many as the season's attend- 
ance at both big leagues; while 3,600,000 played the game, fifteen 
times the equivalent of the army of fans who pushed through the 
turnstiles at the last World's Series. Participants in informal games 
in the A E F, including the mass and company games with everybody 
on one side or the other, numbered 12,000,000. Only 1,855,000 
doughboy spectators watched these games, a striking contrast to 
the usual proportions in modern sport. 

More than 1000 Y athletic directors were employed to carry this 
program through, including 345 full time directors at the maximum 
activity in France, and 541 in the home camps in March, 1918, whose 
number steadily increased up to the Armistice. 

The immense schedule in France was promoted by 5900 separate 
meetings of the directing committees under Y supervision, attended 
by 50,000 officers and men. 

The gross cost of athletic equipment aggregated $4,000,000, in- 
cluding over $2,200,000 spent on the American Armies abroad, and 
just under $1,800,000 spent in the United States. 

Seven AlHed Armies and 27 Nations Ask for Y Athletic Directors 

While conducting its work in the American Army, the Y assigned 
physical directors and organized athletic activities^ for the French, 
British, Italian, Russian, Greek, Roumanian and Belgian Armies, and 
among the Chinese Labor Corps, also helping to set on foot athletic 
programs in the new states of Poland, Czecho-Slovakia and Armenia. 
^ At the present time Y physical directors are working on the recre- 
ational principles evolved in the War among many nations, includ- 
ing besides the above : Argentine, Brazil, Chile, China, Cuba, Egypt, 
Hawaii, India, Japan, Jugo-Slavia, Korea, Mexico, Porto Rico, Philip- 
pines, Turkey and Uruguay. 

The Y Behind the Inter-Allied Games 

Besides serving the Army during the combat period, the Y pro- 
posed to the Army as early as October, 1918, a constructive athletic 



134 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

program to be put in operation after the Armistice. Colonel Wait 
C. Johnson of the Intelligence Section of the General Staff, an ex- 
pert on athletics and himself an athlete of high reputation in the 
Army, was appointed Chief Athletic Ofificer of the A E F, December 
1, 1918. Three months previously Elwood S. Brown had been ap- 
pointed Athletic Director of the YMCA, succeeding E. B. deGroote 
who returned to America to assist in recruiting additional athletic 
directors. Mr. Brown was known to the Army as "the man who 
taught the Filipino to play." 

Mr. Brown had, on October 15, 1918, addressed a letter to Colonel 
Bruce Palmer of the General Staff, outlining a comprehensive plan 
of athletics for the Demobilization Period. This included mass games, 
pageants, A E F Championship competitions in a wide variety of 
sports, culminating in the Inter-Allied Games — a military Olympic. 
The plan was adopted by the Army and was carried out in cooper- 
ation by the Army and the YMCA. 

In the Inter-Allied Games, June 22 to July 6, 1919, 1500 athletes, 
representing 18 nations, contested, and 875,000 persons sought admis- 
sion. 

The Pershing Stadium, seating 25,000 persons, was designed and 
built at the expense of the YMCA. The French Government donated 
the site and the American Army furnished most of the labor. This 
Stadium was presented to the American Army, and later through 
General Pershing was offered to and accepted as a gift by the French 
Nation. 

Setting up the Standard of American Physique 

Before describing this remarkable post-Armistice accomplishment, 
however, it is necessary first to record the broad foundation upon 
which it was built. This was laid in the long established policies 
of the world-wide YMCA for physical and moral development, and 
was developed in the AEF under the able leadership of Dr. John 
H. McCurdy, the first Physical Director of the A E F Y M C A. 

In America the Y was among the pioneers of modern physical 
training. Gymnasiums have been an important part of all YMCA 
activities. Y physical directors helped to set the standard for the 
nation. The enormously popular game of basket ball originated 
within its walls. The profession of physical director was established 
on a dignified basis. Outside of school and college athletics, the Y's 
gymnasium and track and field instruction have provided for two 
generations the standard of athletic training on which rests a funda- 
mental share of the physical fitness of modern America. 

The Y M C A is the exponent of the idea that physical recreation 



BUILDING UP THE FIGHTING FORCES^ 135 

is a builder of manhood, a strengthener of character, and an unsur- 
passed teacher of cooperation. 

The achievement of the Athletic Department of the Y M C A in 
the War was a natural outcome of this background and training. 
It was an achievement in the social value of sport on a scale hitherto 
unknown in the world's history. 

First Physical Director in A E F — Dr. John H. McCurdy 

When the American Army first entered the War, physical train- 
ing loomed up as one of the first services that could be contributed 
to the American soldiers by the Y M C A. Physical directors were 
placed in every camp, and were attached to every Division where 
possible in France. The physical training of the Army was largely 
in setting up drills, with only occasional provision for mass recre- 
ation and games. The Y was exceedingly fortunate in securing 
as the first Director of its Physical Department in France one of the 
greatest specialists in physical training in America, Dr. John H. 
McCurdy. He had been summoned by wire during the Summer of 
1917 while directing physical training at the University of California. 
He went to France on August 3, 1917, and after a thorough inspection 
of the divisions then in the field, promptly set in operation the Y 
facilities for physical instruction in the Army on a constructive, 
scientific basis. 

Dr. McCurdy found large groups of soldiers entirely deficient in 
the agility necessary in modern warfare ; he immediately devised 
ways and means to help bring up this standard and to organize 
mass instruction among the training divisions, which proved of 
invaluable service later on in combat. This led eventually to his 
organizing an Athletic Department within the Physical Department of 
which he was the head. He also organized a Medical Department for 
the special care of the Y M C A personnel, opened up the important 
field of sex hygiene, and inaugurated a Bureau which gave specialized 
instruction to large groups of soldiers. This work was one of the 
factors which produced the cleanest army morally ever known, and 
is resulting in powerful movements for the solution of the problem 
of sex hygiene the world over. 

Developing High Standards for American Soldiers 

The need for scientific physical instruction during the training 
days of the Army, right up to the combat period, was clearly demon- 
strated by Dr. McCurdy in two series of tests with the Artillery 
Brigade of the 1st Division. In a single afternoon at St. Nazaire 
in September, 1917, it was shown that 28 per cent of the 1600 men 



136 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

could not jump a six-foot trench, and that 17 per cent, could not 
run 220 yards in 30 seconds. These are both zero grades in Amer- 
ican public school standards, the jumping test of six feet being for 
thirteen-year-old grammar school boys in New York City. This 
result, among men who joined the Army after 35 per cent of the 
candidates had been rejected, showed at the start the immense utility 
of special instruction for those physically below par. 

These realistic tests were based on potential military situations 
of the highest value; for jumping a trench and running across an 
open stretch of 200 yards on a surprise attack are both crucial ele- 
ments in the question of casualties. In fact, the proper training of 
the men who failed in them might make all the difference, as one of 
the principal officers under General Summerall, the Brigade Com- 
mander, testified, "between the success or entire failure of an attaci<." 

This instance proved the military need of the Y system of mass , 
athletic training. It immediately commended itself to the principal 
leaders of the Army, and by September, 1917, the program was in 
operation, under Dr. McCurdy's delegated supervision at the First 
Corps School at Gondrecourt. 

The first objective at all times was to provide sports and recre- 
ation during off duty time, as well as during training periods of the 
troops; also to abolish the crowd on the side lines, break down the 
purely spectacular element of the skilled few playing for the unskilled 
many; in other words, to put into practice the Y slogan "Every man 
in the game." 

Supplying Over $1,900,000 Worth of Athletic Goods 

To accomplish this purpose, equipment on a scale beyond ordinary 
requirements was the first demand. The gross supplies of all kinds of 
athletic goods ordered by the Y within the year before the Armistice 
aggregated over $1,800,000. Of this $300,000 worth were available 
during the early training period and during the Summer of 191"^. 

The greatest order in the history of athletic equipment was placed 
by the Y Athletic Department in America, aggregating more than 
$1,500,000 worth of all kinds of supplies on June 27 and 28, 1918. 

Although transport difficulties almost prohibited such supplies, 
this order for athletic goods was steadily filled during the crucial 
months of the final Allied drive. Immediately after the Armistice 
more than half of it was either delivered in France or actually on the 
way. By January 1, 1919, the whole order was available for the troops. 
Some of the details in this order included: 276,000 baseballs, 45,000 
bats, 40,000 baseball gloves, and corresponding equipment for basket 



BUILDING UP THE FIGHTING FORCES 137 

ball, volley ball, indoor baseball, boxing, tennis, and all types of track 
and field events. 

A substantial share of credit should also be given to the Fosdick 
Commission, which pioneered the original athletic organization in 
the home Army, and brought to France more than $300,000 worth 
of athletic equipment, according to the director in charge, at a time 
when "it was worth its weight in gold." The $30,000 worth of base- 
ball equipment provided by the Clark Griffith Fund also helped in 
this period. 

Recruiting 345 Full-Time Athletic Directors 

It was September 1, 1917, — at the very beginning of America's 
participation in the War — that Dr. McCurdy had been assigned as 
"Physical Director for the American Y M C A among American 
Troops in France." 

A strenuous recruiting campaign was started in America under 
Luther Gulick's direction. Every state was canvassed for directors, 
and special courses were given at the Chicago and the Springfield 
Y M C A Colleges. The result of this intensive effort was soon dem- 
onstrated, and by October 22, 1918, there were 297 Y athletic directors 
in France; on January 1, 1919, there were 345 full time athletic direc- 
tors on service with the troops. These athletic directors were con- 
centrated almost entirely for service directly with the troops. 

During October, in the midst of the Argonne campaign, full time 
athletic directors of the Y included 80 experienced men assigned as 
divisional directors, and 249 others assigned directly to brigades and 
special units, as against nine regional or area directors and five at- 
tached to the Headquarters Staff. 

Playing Basket Ball in Belleau Wood 

The problem of providing physical recreation for troops in the 
combat zones required personal initiative; the results varied with the 
character of the director. The general principle evolved by the Y 
athletic organization was to carry through the greatest number of 
sports for the largest number of troops that could be reached at all 
times with the equipment available. Thus, artillery units in Belleau 
Wood, and even some infantry units in reserve in that memorable 
territory, played basket ball within reach of the German artillery. 
Ragged remains of basket ball nets are still hanging on the trees 
in the immortal wood now called by the French "Le Bois de la Brigade 
des Marines." 

Major General Bundy, Commander of the 2d Division at that time, 
unre-servedly approved of athletics right up to the front line. His 



138 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

only stipulation was that the games should be individual sports 
which gathered no croAvds, and which put "every man in the game." 
The Y directors went up to the front lines with basket balls and 
cages, medicine balls, indoor baseball stuff, and quoits ; they traveled 
far and wide, starting these games and sandwiching them in with 
non-equipment games such as hand wrestling, "rooster-fighting," and 
similar sports in which the only thing needed was to get a few men 
started to insure half a hundred miniature athletic tournaments all 
going at the same time. 

Athletics Organized Throughout the Services of Supply 

About October also it first became possible to set up a construc- 
tive program for the great army of 400,000 men working in the 
humdrum Services of Supply. The stationary character of employ- 
ment in this area made it possible to lay out baseball diamonds and 
erect buildings on a much larger scale than could be done among 
mobile troops at the front. Baseball diamonds, running tracks, and 
gymnasium buildings were laid out and erected during the off times 
of this service army, and many a cheerfully given half hoHday was 
devoted to clearing ground for games. 

Maj, Gen. Harbord Backs the Y Athletic Program 

The following testimony of Major General Harbord, Commanding 
General of the Services of Supply, expresses the value of this work, 
as seen by an experienced military leader, in unmistakable terms : 

"In any Army we have in France, no matter how large, there will 
always be relatively one-third of it in the Services of Supply. These 
officers and men are without the stimulus of meeting the enemy, their 
work is of the humdrum, monotonous character that lowers tone, 
yet it is so important that the Army at the front cannot exist without 
it. ... I can think of no better method of elevating the tone of 
this large force, of taking their mind off their work outside of office 
hours, so necessary to maintain health and at the same time guard 
their morals, as the recreational athletic sports that the YMCA 
alone is able to furnish them. . . . The benefits of this phase of 
the YMCA work are so clear to me, so generally believed in by 
all officers, and so welcomed by the men that I am astonished that 
there should be any doubt expressed by anyone." 

Glimpse of the Great Army Playgrounds 

Here are a few of the features of the great Army playground that 
sprang up in the Services of Supply during these few months of in- 
tensive effort: 



BUILDING UP THE FIGHTING FORCES 139 

75 baseball diamonds at St. Nazaire alone; 21 playing fields and 
15 gym buildings or hangars in the Intermediate Section; 80 out-door 
rings, buildings, and hangars used on an average once a week for 
boxing shows after March 1, 1919; one complete athletic field includ- 
ing track, bleachers, tennis courts and basketball courts, built 
by the Army and Y M C A at Le Mans ; Cirque de Paris and Palais 
de Glace taken over in Paris for boxing, wrestling, and basketball 
finals; and the Colombes Stadium, including track and seats for 18,000, 
with 12 complete football fields, baseball diamonds, and playing 
fields adaptable for ten other sports, used regularly for more than 
fourteen months for Army athletic sports. 

Coincident with the creation of the First and Second American 
Armies and launching the Argonne campaign, the Athletic Depart- 
ment laid foundations for the final drive to put over organized ath- 
letics for the Army now rapidly reaching its maximum strength. 
The program thus laid out fell into three chapters : the development 
of mass games throughout the Army, the organization of Army cham- 
pionships for which every American soldier should be a possible com- 
petitor, and the Inter-Allied Games, a military Olympic tournament 
to stage the Army championships of the world. 



Elwood S. Brown — Director of Athletic Department in France 

It is here that record should be made of the far-reaching work 
of Elwood S. Brown, one of the best known and most popular ex- 
ponents of play for everybody. It was he who suggested the athletic 
plans put before the General Staff on October 15, 1918. He later 
carried through these Army contests to completion, becoming director 
of the Athletic Department of the Y M C A in September, 1918, for 
the specific purposes herein outlined. Mr. Brown had special quali- 
fications to carry out such a plan on the colossal scale designed. 

As a result of Director Brown's initiative for more than ten years, 
as Athletic Director of the Y M C A in the Philippines, more than 
80 per cent of the 800,000 public school students in the islands play 
regularly every day. The Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation, 
which organized sports throughout the archipelago, has entirely 
transformed the recreational life of the Filipino people. 

The growth of athletic spirit in the Philippines naturally led to 
contests with neighboring people, and thus arose the Far Eastern 
Games which were first held in Manila at Carnival time, in 1913, 
under Mr. Brown's direction. Japan and China were the other con- 
testants, and in the games at Shanghai 150,000 people saw the Chinese 
athletic teams win a victory for the first time in world sport. Games 



140 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

were held in Japan in the presence of the sons of the Mikado, and 
resulted in breaking down finally in that country, with the added 
impetus of a Japanese victory, the last resistance to social games as 
opposed to individualism in wrestling, swordsmanship, etc., which 
had been the traditional sport of Japan. 

The results of these games was incalculable on the life of the 
rapidly westernizing nations of the Orient. In the Philippines 
one dealer alone sold 11,000 volley balls in one year, and the 
Bureau of Education reported that 135,000 girls were playing indoor 
baseball adapted to out-door conditions, two of whose teams travelled 
through China and gave a demonstration before President Yuan 
Shih-k'ai. At the next series of games, presumably to be held in 
1920, Siam and Java and the Malay States are planning to enter as 
contestants, and the games will probably be held in Peking. 



Army Sports Expand to Climax of Inter-Allied Garties 

In choosing Mr. Brown, therefore, to develop the athletic spirit 
throughout the American Army, to sustain its morale ,and to main- 
tain its esprit de corps during the trying periods of the final battle, 
and the long months of demobilization — the Y put this opportunity 
into the hands of a man of world-wide experience. 

Mr. Brown's long-time acquaintance with the Army from his 
Philippine experience was also a solid factor in cementing Army 
cooperation. He early suggested to the Army a plan to organize 
Army sports on an ascending basis, which should come to a climax 
with the great Inter-Allied Games. This policy was of enormous 
benefit to the Army, for the sports program, instead of "letting down" 
as more men went home, attracted an even large proportion of men 
right up to the championship events at the end. 

In the Athletic Department the Armistice period was planned 
for more carefully, perhaps, than in any other section of the Y's work, 
save the Educational Department. The greatest activities clearly lay 
in that period. But the work during the fighting period should not 
be passed over, and the following schedule gives an indication of 
the immense variety of activities which were being carried on for the 
widely diflferent needs of the Army during the height of the combat 
period : 

Intensive Athletic Activities during the Final Drive 

At ports of entry, in the Services of Supply areas, at aviation 
camps, in training camps and schools, near the combat zones, in the 
leave areas, among the Navy in ports of entry — at Corfu, Gibraltar, 



BUILDING UP THE FIGHTING FORCES 141 

with the British Army through the B E F-Y MCA, the athletic activ- 
ities comprised some or all of the following during the fighting period : 

Mass games for troops in transit A range of activities from croquet 

More or less permanent type of to football, mass calisthenics, 

work, leagues, boxing instruc- drills, hikes 

tion Standard games, athletic exhibi- 

Exercise and games calling for tions, hikes, excursions 

muscular stimulation and not Boxing, wrestling, vigorous 

physical fatigue games of quick organization 

Vigorous games harmonizing possibilities 

with training program Introduction and instruction in 

Great variety of individual and baseball, volley ball, basket 

small group games; non-equip- ball, and many non-equipment 

ment sports games ; great stress on play idea 

Organizing the Army Championships 

With the Armistice, the second chapter of the Y program, the 
great army contests schedule, was launched almost at once. Although 
the mass sports continued and were greatly increased in number of 
participants and variety, the popular emphasis of the soldiers soon be- 
gan to be placed upon the series of Army championships which were 
soon initiated. The whole policy of the Y was directed towards help- 
ing the Army. 

Joint Basis of Operation Established 

On December 29, 1918, the famous General Order No. 241 was 
issued by which General Pershing directed "the attention of all con- 
cerned to the importance of encouraging development of general and 
competitive athletics — for the purpose of keeping up the morale, 
fostering and developing organization esprit de corps, and improving 
the physical fitness of the Army." 

One of the ablest officers on the General Stafif, Col. Wait C. John- 
son, was detailed in charge of the Athletic Section of the Army as 
Chief Athletic Of^cer. Official championships consisting of track and 
field events, baseball, football, basketball, tennis, boxing, and wrestling 
were planned "on an elimination basis, beginning with the company, 
progressing through the battalion, regiment, brigade and division, and 
culminating in a series of finals for the athletic championships of the 
A E F." The Y was specifically delegated to assist the Army, in 
paragraph 4 of this order, reading as follows: 

"The Y M C A with the approval of the Commander in Chief has 
organized a Department of Athletics and is prepared to give every 



142 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

assistance in the development of general athletics and the arrangement 
and management of competition between military units. It has a large 
number of specially trained physical directors with wide experience in 
mass play and in other activities now in its ranks in France. One of 
these will be attached to the staff of each division and separate unit, and 
will be designated in orders as divisional (or unit) athletic director, and, 
under supervision of division athletic officer, will be charged with the 
responsibility for the arrangement, management and general conduct 
of athletic activities throughout the unit." 



Creating a Record in Fighting Spirit and Clean Sportsmanship 

The months that followed were probably the greatest period of 
athletic activity in the Army at any time. Certainly, America citi- 
zens never satisfied more thoroughly their love of the national game 
of baseball than they did in those months. These games not only de- 
veloped the physical stamina of vast numbers of men who partici- 
pated in them, but they provided more thoroughly than any other 
attraction a great physical equivalent for war, which let down the 
nervous tension of the American Army by normal degrees to the 
psychological standards of the life to which they were to return. 
They provided, furthermore, the two elements of Anglo-Saxon sports, 
— fighting spirit and clean sportsmanship — in a cumulative record 
which was one of the inspiring achievements of the War period. 

According to Colonel Johnson : "The spirit of fair play shown by 
the participants throughout the contests was most remarkable, and 
no games in the history of sport ever furnished finer examples of true 
sportsmanship and chivalrous regard for the rights of the other man." 

This was not only noteworthy in the football games, where through- 
out a series of the hardest fought pigskin contests on record, there 
were almost no instances of foul play or of any "breaks" of bad sports- 
manship, but it was conspicuous as well in the boxing tournaments 
from the out-door ringside scraps up to the championship finals in 
Paris. 

To quote Col. Johnson again : "The majority of men who partici- 
pated in the boxing finals had formerly been professionals, but with 
no expectation of reward other than the approbation of their com- 
rades and the desire to win for their organization, these men went 
through a long period of training and an elimination tournament of 
gruelling matches. Fighting under a new set of rules especially com- 
piled for the A E F these men gave a magnificent exhibition of the 
manly art and demonstrated that boxing can be conducted along abso- 
lutely clean lines and in such manner as to give it, in the field of 



BUILDING UP THE FIGHTING FORCES 143 

sport, the eminent position that it so justly merits as a clean and splen- 
did game." 

Football Championship Games in the Army 

For fig-hting spirit no football games in the history of the sport 
ever developed finer matched teams or more exciting contests than 
those for the supremacy of the Second Army. The four teams qual- 
ified for that championship played five tie games before the cham- 
pionship was finally won by the 7th Division. The 28th Division 
team played three scoreless games with their principal rival, the 5th 
Division, and agreed that in case the fourth game resulted likewise, 
to accept the unheard of solution of judging the winner on a yardage 
basis. The 28th Division won the game, but this strange rule had to 
be invoked in its final game with the 7th Division, for neither team 
could score during the sixty fiercely fought minutes of the game, and 
the 7th Division was adjudged winner by only 34 yards. 

Such football games at Toul, Bar-sur-Aube, Coblenz, Luxemburg, 
and Paris stirred not only the whole American Army, but a great 
part of the rapidly growing sporting population of France to an 
understanding of the true character of the American spirit, and pre- 
pared the ground for the great series of international games which 
were inaugurated at the Pershing Stadium. 



Inter-Allied Games — The World's First Military Games 

The history of the games has been fully recorded in "The Inter- 
Allied Games — 1919," compiled by Major George Wythe, head of 
the Historical Branch of the Games Committee and published by the 
Committee. It is also fully told in Spaulding^'s "Official Athletic 
Almanac of the A E F Championships and Inter-Allied Games," 
edited by Colonel Wait C. Johnson and Elwood S. Brown. Suffice 
it here to say that the games were conducted by the American Army 
and American Y M C A in cooperation, the Y M C A financing the 
stadium, athletic equipment, prizes and general operating expenses, 
including welfare and entertainment service to competitors of all 
nations. 

As official host, General Pershing sent invitations to the Com- 
manders of the Armies of 29 Allied nations and dependencies. Eight- 
een acceptances were received. Colonel Johnson, as Chief Athletic* 
Officer of the A E F, was Chairman of the Games Committee, and 
Elwood S. Brown, who as originator of the plan had a clear vision 
of the end to be accomplished and the best means for its realization, 
was Director General of the Games. 875,000 spectators sought ad- 



144 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

mission, half of whom could not be accommodated, and 1500 athletes 
of 18 nations contended. 

The Pershing Stadium, where the games took place, was built near 
Joinville on the site of an old jousting ground for the knights of Henry 
of Navarre. As already stated, it was designed and erected by money 
exclusively contributed by the YMCA. The American Army fur- 
nished most of the labor. The ground was donated by France. The 
completed stadium was turned over to the American Army by the 
Y, and in turn placed by General Pershing personally at the disposal 
of the French people in perpetuity. 

The games began on June 22, 1919, and lasted over a fortnight, 
the flags being finally pulled down and the events declared closed on 
July 6, 1919. During this time almost every conceivable sport was 
either contested or demonstrated, from American baseball to Italian 
pelota, and a bewildering series of sword games and camel fighting 
exhibitions given by the Arabs sent by the King of Hedjaz. 

Principles of Fine Sportsmanship in Inter-Allied Games 

The Americans won a great proportion of the victories, although 
in many cases the French, in the track and field events, and the British, 
Australians and Canadians in the boxing bouts, were the warmly ac- 
claimed victors of the day. The principle was adopted that victories 
were to be counted in specific sports and no attempt made to deter- 
mine a winner of the tournament. Thus the famous Prague soccer 
team, representing Czecho-Slovakia, carried off the soccer champion- 
ship, the only event in which they seriously contested, and carried 
home as much glory as if they had won the tournament. This prin- 
ciple encourages the small nations to participate much more keenly 
and had a splendid effect in emphasizing the international and uni- 
versal character of the Inter-Allied Games. 

Colonel Johnson, speaking for General Pershing before the event 
on the ultimate value of the Inter-AlHed Games, said: 

"What more fitting ending for the final separation and demobili- 
zation of the Allied Armies than that their representatives should be 
assembled on the friendly field of sport to further cement the bonds 
of common friendship first forged upon the field of battle!" 

Eight Million Khaki Spectators at Y Boxing Matches 

f No story of the work of the Athletic Department in France wcfuld 
be complete without particular mention of the boxing instruction 
and the long series of boxing contests which became one of the prime 
features of life in the American Army. More boxing bouts were 
staged during the six months following the signing of the Armistice 



BUILDING UP THE FIGHTING FORCES 145 

than in any other like period in the annals of the ring. It is estimated 
that between January and June, 1919, more than 400,000 , American 
bouts were staged and were watched by more than 8,000,000 khaki 
clad spectators. 

French, British and Australian boxers toured the American Army 
during March and April of that year under the auspices of the Y, 
boxing an average of 80 bouts a week to more than 200,000 delighted 
weekly spectators. 

A tour of the A E F boxers was also arranged through Italy, 
and another tour, of Americans paired with French boxers, was taken 
through the American Army of Occupation in Germany. 

The result of these tours, together with the championship con- 
tests which reached their finals at Paris in May, roused a spirit of 
such interest in the Army that the famous Palais de Glace in Paris 
was not big enough to hold the crowds, and the Cirque de Paris, 
holding more than 3500 spectators, was leased by the Y for the great 
boxing finals. The spirit of the boxing thus provided was worthy 
of its popularity, for a large proportion of the important bouts had 
to be continued with extra rounds before a hard-won decision could 
at last be granted. Of the 39 championship contests, 22 were decided 
on points. Four were forfeited, all for valid reasons, and only two 
were won on fouls — a splendid record for a group of boxers, the 
vast majority of whom were amateurs. In other words, boxing in 
the A E F entirely dropped its professional spirit and became more 
nearly an amateur sport than ever before on a large scale. 



Carrying Out an Intensive Athletic Program in America 

During all this period it must be remembered that a similar in- 
tensive program in the whole athletic field was being carried out 
in camps and great training centers in America. To put this schedule 
through in an efficient manner required the sum of just under $1,- 
800,000. In character, the program carried out in the home camps 
was a normal extension of a regular American season of sport. It 
laid special emphasis on inter-company and intra-company cham- 
pionships in a wide range of games from volley ball and football to 
baseball and track and field events. For the average man, quoits, 
handball, volley ball, and an extensive program of mass sports was 
provided, as well as a long competition of mass drills in collaboration 
with the development of the Army. The boxing and wrestling bouts 
at the home camps were quite as lively and as splendidly run as 
those abroad. More Americans at one time undoubtedly learned to 
play more new games than in any previous sporting season in the 
history of the country. 



146 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

Y Athletic Directors Assigned to the French Army 

As in all its other fields of work the YMCA rendered constant 
service to the Allied Armies through its Athletic Department. Gen- 
eral Cottez, Director of Physical Training in the French Army, rec- 
ommended in 1918 that baseball be introduced in all centers of physical 
instruction. A special bureau for physical and moral education in 
the French War Department was also opened during this year, and 

Y athletic directors aided materially in forming and carrying out this 
program. As a result of the baseball order, one Y director, at a train- 
ing school for French infantry, made it possible for the French sol- 
diers to lengthen their grenade throwing considerably, and improved 
their accuracy by thirty per cent. Corresponding results were secured 
at many other schools. Although baseball was not generally taken 
up, a number of French baseball teams were formed for training 
practice. The game for the first time secured a foothold among 
French youth. 

French boxing received a tremendous encouragement through the 
severe competition offered to the best boxing talent in the country 
by the aggressive amateurs of the American Army. The French 
boxers who went on tour with the American teams made a splendid 
showing in skill and sportsmanship. When the results were cast up 
at the end of the season they came within one match of scoring a 
tie in the gross matches fought throughout the American Army. 

The French soccer team, which beat the Americans at the Inter- 
Allied Games, demonstrated French advance in this sport. Their 
victories in cross-country running, culminating in the splendid triumph 
of the one-armed veteran, Vermeulen, at the Inter-Allied Games, still 
further commended them to the Americans as fine sportsmen. 

The Y directors of the Foyer du Soldat helped to teach soccer 
and running, and even gave instruction in the French games of 
bowling and quoits, traditionally popular throughout the French 
Army. Finally, the YMCA cooperated in cordial relationship 
throughout the whole period with the famous National Committee 
of Physical and Athletic Education and of Social Hygiene (Comite 
Nationale d'Education Physique et Sportive et de I'Hygiene Sociale). 
This organization approached Marshal Petain, Commander in Chief of 
the French Army, and submitted the first proposals to turn over to 
the YMCA the ground in the Bois de Vincennes where the great 
Pershing Stadium was later erected. 

Teaching Basket Ball to British Army 

In the British Army, basketball, a game invented by a Y physical 
director and originating on an American YMCA gymnasium floor. 



BUILDING UP THE FIGHTING FORCES 147 

was officially adopted as an Army sport. It proved immensely popu- 
lar as a training feature with the British troops. A picked American 
Army team, coached by a Y director, was sent on a tour through the 
British camps in Great Britain and France. It proved not only a 
great drawing card, but a constant stimulus of friendly rivalry and 
sporting education. 

Roumania Calls for Y Recreation Leader 

Roumania, which has played soccer football for a number of years, 
put up a strong fight against the American soccer team. Her large 
delegation at the Inter-Allied Games show^ed great appreciation of 
the mass games which were a special feature of the Y work witH 
the A E F. Her chief military officer asked the Y to assign to that 
country for at least a year a trained recreation leader. J. A. Davis 
and four assistants were sent to introduce the non-equipment sports 
as far as possible into the new training system of the Roumanian 
Army. 

Poland, Czecho-Slovakia, Greece and Armenia Seek Y Instruction 

As a result of interest stimulated by Y Army athletics, 12 Asso- 
ciation leaders are now providing athletic instruction under the Polish 
Government; seven men are serving in Czecho-Slovakia; while in 
Greece and Roumania, as well as in France and Italy, American Y 
instructors are now at work, not only on military athletics, but helping 
to plan the reconstruction programs with special attention to modern 
recreational games throughout the schools and the athletic associa- 
ions of those countries. 

Teaching Asiatic and African Races American Games 

Special mention should be made of the advance of the sporting 
program among many of the Asiatic and African races serving in 
the Allied Armies. Not only among the Chinese Labor Corps and 
the Indian troops serving in the British Army did the Y assist in 
popularizing sport, but aid was constantly given through the Foyer 
du Soldat to the Arabs, Algerians, Senegalese, Tunisians, Anamites, 
and other Indo-Chinese recruited in large numbers in the French 
Army. At Marseilles, where there were always from 15,000 to 20,000 
of these troops waiting for transportation home during the Armis- 
tice period, soccer, basketball, volley ball, and many other games 
were intensively taught, so that these men would carry to their homes 
the desire to continue sport on clean European standards. 

A great demand was shown among all the Allies for literature 



148 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

on American sports, especially mass games. Thousands of books 
and leaflets, giving in detail the nature of the games and sports played 
at the Pershing Stadium, were distributed among the nations attend- 
ing. 

Mr. Brown appeared by invitation before the International Olym- 
pic Committee at Antwerp, to suggest a plan for world promotion play 
for everybody. Many Y physical directors coached in the series of 
Olympic games which took place in Belgium in 1920. The national 
teams which represented France, Greece, Italy, Poland, Czecho- 
slovakia, and Roumania, as well as America and England, included 
many Y coaches. 

American Army Adopts New Standard of Physical Training 

The great advance of athletic training in armies as a result of 
the experience of the War has been signalized in the American Army 
by the adoption of new courses and of a much wider system of 
physical instruction under a recently created special department, the 
Division on Education and Recreation. The YMCA Athletic Organ- 
ization is everywhere cooperating toward setting it firmly on its feet. 
The results in clean sport, in the strenuous body-building of Army 
athletics, and the development of the most extensive physical equiva- 
lent for war that has ever been set up as a standard of peaceful 
civilization, have been carried to the ends of the earth. The emphasis 
upon physical fitness that Y athletics have brought before the youth 
of the nations forms a lasting contribution to the world's reconstruc- 
tion after the War. 



Y M G A CasualtyjList 

According to Data in the Files of the War Work Council, September, 

1920 

Died in Service Overseas 

Killed in Action 6 Men 

2 Women 

Killed by Brigands 2 Men 

Died of Wounds 3 Men 

Died of Disease 49 Men 

21 Women 

Died of Accident 8 Men 

1 Woman 

Total 92 



BUILDING UP THE FIGHTING FORCES 149 

Disabled 

Wounded and Gassed 123 Men 

5 Women 

Total 'us, 

Died in Service in Home Camps 

Died of Disease 54 Men 

1 Woman 
Died of Accident 3 Men 

Total 58 
Prisoners 

Western Front 1 

Russia 4 

Total 5 

Total of Casualties 283 

Citations and Decorations 

Citations 99 

Croix de Guerre 41 

Officier de rAcademie 25 

Legion d'Honneur ." 6 

Medaille d'Honneur 4 

Fourragere 2 

Brevet de Cuirassier de la Premiere Classe Honorciire 1 

Officier de I'lnstruction Publique 1 

Order of the British Empire 6 

British Air Society Medal 1 

Distinguished Service Cross 4 

Distinguished Service Medal 2 

U. S. Army Ambulance Service Medal 1 

Croce de Guerra 82 

Cavaliera della Corona d'ltalia 21 

Cross of Knight of the Crown of Italy 1 

Knight of Saints Mauritius and Lazarus (Italian) 1 

Medalia de Agradeciemento (Portugal) 1 

Ordem de Cristo 2 

Order of St. Stanislaus (Russian) 4 

Cross' of St. George (Russian) 3 

Order of the Redeemer (Greek) 3 

Medaille de la Reine Beige 3 

Czechoslovak Revolutionary Medal 1 

Kaisar-i-hind (India) 1 

Order of the Crown of Siam 1 

Ratanapara Medal (Siam) 2 

Total 319 



150 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

VI— EDUCATION—GIVING THE SOLDIER HIS 
OPPORTUNITY 

Statistical Facts Regarding Y Educational Service 

The YMCA expended in educational work for American soldiers 
and sailors, at home and abroad, up to October 1, 1919, more than 
$6,000,000. It made further commitments for similar work now in 
hand or decided upon, amounting to $5,000,000, making a total ex- 
penditure of $11,000,000 for this activity. 

The sum of $2,509,655 was expended in America. Of this, $1,476,- 
575 was for lectures, library service, instruction and educational liter- 
ature, $931,273 for newspapers, magazines, and correspondence 
materials, and $91,807 for sex hygiene education. 

Overseas the educational expenditures amounted to $3,952,073.' 

The books and periodicals distributed free to the American Army 
abroad, up to May 1, 1919, reached the grand total of 60,000,000. 

The record in France was: books, 5,400,000; periodicals, song 
books, maps, pamphlets, religious literature, 19,670,000; newspapers, 
31,400,000. 

In the British Isles, 2,700,000 books, magazines, and newspapers 
were distributed. The Library Department in London purchased and 
dispatched to France more than 5,000,000 items, and 170,000 to Gib- 
raltar, Russia, and War Prisoners in Germany and Austria. In addi- 
tion it forwarded 128,936 volumes for the American Library Asso- 
ciation. In this work the American Library Association cooperated 
heartily with the Y M C A. 

The Y's Greater Educational Contribution 

These figures, large as they appear, do not represent the most 
important educational contribution of the YMCA. That is to be 
found in its preparation and practical working out of a plan of educa- 
tional work so vast and diversified that had the War continued a few 
weeks longer it was calculated to meet the needs of an army of 
2,000,000 men in both combat and demobilization periods. During 
the fighting period the Army was too busily occupied to give thought 
to any education except for strictly military purposes, and had not a 
moment to plan for post-Armistice instruction for the benefit of 
individual soldiers. The YMCA saw both the need and the oppor- 
tunity, and took early steps to meet them. When the Armistice came, 
the Army found the YMCA ready with a methodical plan so im- 
mense that only the organization of the Army itself was adequate to 
its operation. 



GIVING THE SOLDIER HIS OPPORTUNITY 151 

The Y M C A an Institution for Self Development 

From the first, the Y M C A was alert for opportunities to serve 
the mental needs of soldiers. Since the foundation of the Y M C A in 
1844 education has been a strongly emphasized feature of its work, 
especially for men who have passed school age and feel the desire for 
self improvement. Before the troops were mobilized, local Y M C A's 
featured instruction in subjects of special interest to prospective 
soldiers. Upon arrival in the training camps, the men found educa- 
tional secretaries ready to offer a varied program. Class work in 
elementary and advanced subjects, both technical and liberal, was 
organized on a large scale. Lectures and practical talks on such 
subjects as the causes of the War, the war aims and the history of 
the United States and their Allies, were given in all camps. Par- 
ticular emphasis was laid on the French language. Elementary 
instruction in reading and writing English was furnished for illiter- 
ates and foreign born and reading matter made accessible to all. 

In the home camps, during 1918, 7,592,184 men attended 24,572 
lectures; 5,111,864 attended 251,000 classes; 126,296 attended 2008 
clubs; a total attendance of 12,840,344. 

Educational World of America Cooperates 

The educational work with the A E F presents a striking example 
of cooperation. The Y M C A brought with its official standing as 
the designated organization for such work in the Army, its unique 
pre-war experience in educational work supplementary to the regular 
academic institutions, its funds, and its personnel. The educational 
world of America contributed technical educational knowledge, ex- 
perience, and enthusiasm, through Prof. Anson Phelps Stokes, of 
Yale University, Chairman of the American University Union, who 
formulated the plan, supported by Professor John Erskine, of Columbia 
University, Dr. Frank E. Spaulding, Superintendent of Schools, Cleve- 
land, Ohio, and President Kenyon L. Butterfield, of the Massachusetts 
Agricultural College, who constituted the Y M C A Army Educational 
Commission, as well as hundreds of teachers of all grades who enlisted 
in the Y M C A. The educational institutions of France and Britain 
opened their doors to students from the A E F, and contributed lec- 
turers, instructors, and apparatus. The Army, when it was set free 
by the Armistice from the urgent occupations of war, contributed a 
great number of American teachers who had been serving as officers 
or privates, cooperated in putting the Y M C A plans into operation, 
and finally at the request of the Y M C A, took over the personnel and 
undertook the administration and operation of the going enterprise 
which the Y M C A had helped to establish 



152 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

Achievements Under the Army Educational Plan 

The results of this ambitious plan, as initiated by the YMCA and 
later operated by the Army reached the following proportions : Soldiers 
attending lectures in France aggregated 1,440,000, including 750,000 
at general educational lectures, 300,000 at agricultural lectures, 230,000 
at lectures on citizenship, 160,000 at lectures on business subjects. 

Soldiers regularly attending schools: Post Schools, 130,000; Di- 
visional Schools, 55,000 ; Army Schools, 362,300 ; Agricultural Schools, 
100,000; Farm School, Allerey, 2300; Vocational Schools, 5800; Amer- 
ican University, Beaune, 6000; French Universities, 7000; British 
Universities, 2100; a grand total of nearly 700,000 men enrolled for 
systematic instruction. 800 officers and 1300 other ranks were placed 
in 38 British institutions. They represented about 100 American 
universities and colleges. They were assigned as follows : 

Scotch Institutions 375 Students 

Irish Institutions 110 " 

Welsh Institutions 40 " 

English Institutions 1575 " 

Helping the Doughboys to "Make Good" 

The army life of American soldiers was divided into two sharply 
contrasted periods. First came the period of combat, when attention 
was concentrated on winning the War. Afterward came the period 
of occupation and demobilization, when attention was equally con- 
centrated on getting back into civilian life and resuming interrupted 
careers. The educational program of the YMCA provided appro- 
priately for each period. In the first, the primary objective of educa- 
tional effort was to help the Army win the War. "It must stand 
the acid test," said Professor Stokes, "of whether or not it will im- 
prove the military efficiency and fighting edge of the individual sol- 
dier." For the second period the objective was to return the men 
to the United States with a better individual equipment and an 
enlarged vision of citizenship, for the work of civil life. 

To accomplish the first, the subjects most necessary were: causes 
and issues of the War, and America's part in it ; character and history 
of Allied peoples, especially the French and British; the French lan- 
guage. Knowledge of the first would give that prime essential for 
the citizen soldier, an intelligent comprehension of what he was 
fighting for. Knowledge of the second would improve cooperation 
between the fighting forces. Knowledge of the third would facilitate 
the soldier's life in France. To these was added instruction in ele- 
mentary English branches for illiterates and foreign born. Recogniz- 
ing that the soldiers' paramount duties were training and fighting, and 
that education must be strictly subordinated to military necessities, 



GIVING THE SOLDIER HIS OPPORTUNITY 153 

plans were made for seizing upon spare hours and utilizing chance 
opportunities for imparting instruction along the indicated lines. 
Where instruction by a teacher was not feasible, it was attempted to 
place useful books where all soldiers could have access to them in 
spare moments. 

In the second period, the emphasis was removed from war to 
civilian life, from Europe to the United States. The subjects offered 
in common and high schools, for soldiers who had not finished a high 
school course, industrial and vocational courses for 30 to 40 per cent 
of the soldiers, citizenship in its varied phases, and subjects common 
in the first two years of college work, were included in the plan. In 
this period the soldier would have more time and inclination for study, 
and more facilities of every kind would be available. The work could 
therefore be more elaborate and systematic than in the fighting period. 

Commander-in-Chief Approves Y Educational Plans 

On January 18, 1918, Professor Stokes arrived in France under 
the auspices of the Y M C A to survey the educational opportunity 
and formulate a plan. The following month he submitted two memo- 
randa to E. C. Carter, who transmitted them to General Pershing. 
The first proposed an educational program for the period of fighting; 
the second for the period following the Armistice. On March 5, 1918, 
Colonel Logan, of the General Stafif, wrote to Mr. Carter in behalf 
of General Pershing, as follows : 

"I am directed by the C.-in-C. to acknowledge receipt of the extremely 
interesting project prepared by Mr. Anson Phelps Stokes. The C.-in-C. 
is interested in this matter and is very much pleased with the comprehen- 
sive report which Mr. Stokes has submitted, in which he outlines the 
objects of this educational project. The C.-in-C. approves the project 
in principle and has directed that proper facilities be given for this work 
throughout this Command. As already telegraphed, the only important 
change that will have to be made in this project will be by transferring 
the functions that he has assigned to the Educational Director of each 
Division to an agency of the Y M C A. This is necessary as military 
reasons make it a paramount necessity to restrict all operations at Divi- 
sional Headquarters to those exclusively connected with combat." 

General Pershing's Order No. 192 Regarding Education 

A General Order was prepared and submitted to the Y M C A for 
study and approval, with the information that it would be officially 
promulgated when the Y M C A was ready and when military condi- 
tions should warrant. This order, published as General Order No. 



154 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

192, October 31, 1918, was publicly characterized by Dr. Spaulding 
as "the most significant document in the history of American educa- 
tion." It included the following provisions : 

"1. The Young Men's Christian Association, through the YMCA 
Army Educational Commission, has organized, with the approval of 
the Commander-in-Chief, an educational system charged with the 
standardization of educational methods and the establishment of 
schools for instruction of officers and soldiers in all of the larger posts, 
camps, and hospitals of the American Expeditionary Forces. 

"2. In order to further education in the American Expeditionai-y 
Forces, army, corps, division, regimental commanders and commandino^ 
officers of schools, special units and posts will each appoint a qualified 
member of his staff as school officer. The school officer will be charged 
with the supervision of educational work within the organization to 
which attached, as defined in Pars. 5, 6 and 7 of this order. 

"3. In compliance with the provisions of A. R. 449, post, regimental or 
detachment commanders will establish post schools in all posts, canton- 
ments, hospitals or rest camps, or areas which have a constant population 
of five hundred or more soldiers. Action will be taken under the provi- 
sions of Army Regulations to secure proper rooms, heating, lighting, 
equipment and service, when same is not otherwise provided. In cases 
where building or other facilities are furnished by civil societies, action 
will be taken to secure lacking material or service. 

"4. Instruction will be standardized as to textbooks, courses, rec- 
ords and requirements in accordance with the system arranged by the 
YMCA Army Educational Commission, approved by these head- 
quarters. It will comprise the following subjects: French language; 
History, character and institutions of the people of the Allied nations ; 
Causes of the War and America's participation; Civics; Courses in 
common school subjects; Special courses for examination for pro- 
motion. 

At places where civil organizations have provided the necessary 
facilities the following may be included: Special correspondence and 
university extension courses; Physical education; Additional subjects 
authorized by these headquarters. 

"5. Post schools will be controlled by post commanders as to disci- 
pline, attendance, sanitation and, in the absence of volunteer civil agen- 
cies, instruction, but such instruction will conform to the approved 
system of the YMCA Army Educational Commission, and such 
schools will be subject to inspection and supervision as to methods, 
results and subject of instruction by properly authorized agents of 
the YMCA Army Educational Commission. 

"6. Wherever practicable, the buildings, organization, equipment. 



GIVING THE SOLDIER HIS OPPORTUNITY 155 

management, and other facilities provided by the Y M C A Army Edu- 
cational Commission will be utilized as the post schools by command- 
ing officers. In such cases, the duties of the commanding officer will 
be limited to those necessary to proper discipline, sanitation, and regula- 
tion of attendance ; and the duties of the school officer of the post or camp 
to liaison with the Y M C A War Educational Commission's agent, and 
superintendence of discipline, attendance and sanitation of the post schools 
under the direction of the commanding officer . . . ." 



Modifications of General Order 192 

General Order 192 was modified in important respects by General 
Order 9, January 13, 1919. Instead of being charged with the duty 
of establishing schools, the Y M C A Army Educational Commission 
was charged with the duty of "developing courses and course material, 
and with providing expert educational advisors and assistants for 
schools." The duties of these advisors were further defined: "to act 
as teachers of methods of instruction to detailed instructors ; as super- 
visors and inspectors of instruction ; as advisors to the school officers ; 
and as instructors of classes so far as their other duties will permit." 
Attendance of illiterates was ordered, instead of being voluntary. 
The order that instruction should conform to "the syst&m developed 
by the Y M C A Army Commission and approved by these Head- 
quarters," was reaffirmed. 

General Order 30, February 13, 1919, provided, for divisional 
schools. It specified 14 subjects for vocational training, and increased 
the list of academic subjects previously authorized. It provided that 
courses should consist of five hours work daily, five days a week, for 
three months, and gave the necessary authorization for detachment of 
officers and men, with commutation of subsistence, for attendance at 
French and British universities as arranged by the Educational Com- 
mission. It also authorized the American University at Beaune. 



Organization of the Y M C A Army Educational Commission. 

The Educational Commission referred to in this order was or- 
ganized before the promulgation of the order. Dr. George Drayton 
Strayer of Columbia University, President of the National Education 
Association, was Home Director of the Commission, with offices at 
Y M C A Headquarters in New York City. Professor Stokes, having 
s,et the work in operation, found it necessary to return to his duties at 
Yale University, but retained an advisory connection with the Com- 
mission. 



156 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

Pre-Armistice Conditions and Educational Achievements 

Before the Armistice, the Commission labored under two principal 
difficulties. Scarcity of transportation, which seriously affected every 
YMCA activity, delayed personnel and supplies. The Army's in- 
sistence that the Y's primary task at that period was canteen service, 
made it almost impossible to hold members of the educational staff 
in the field to their specific duties. The situation was critical because 
at this time, through no fault of its own, the Y had considerably less 
than half of the personnel which it required to meet its various obli- 
gations to the Army. Men sent out as educational secretaries felt 
that opportunities for their special work were meager, while the 
tremendous pressure of canteen work, calling for the most strenuous 
exertions of every man and woman available among the inadequate 
personnel, drew them irresistibly into its current. Individual secre- 
taries showed remarkable alertness and resourcefulness in grasping 
opportunities for educational work. In the face of these difficulties, 
the Commission maintained a constant stimulating influence upon 
the secretaries, sent out supplies to every point where there was a 
prospect that they would be used, built up a huge book, magazine, 
and newspaper service, and expanded the lecture service which it had 
taken over from the Entertainment Department. 

These efforts resulted in no mean total of accomplishment. Com- 
plete figures for the pre-Armistice period are not available, but in a 
report by Dr. Erskine, October 1, 1918, the Director of the Educational 
Commission estimated that at that date 30,000 illiterates and foreign 
born were being reached by instruction in reading and writing English 
and more than 200,000 were being taught French in YMCA huts. 
At the Base Port of St. Nazaire alone, 9000 class lessons in French 
were given in the month of March, 1918, 34 French professors being 
engaged in the work, which was growing rapidly. A set of maps of 
France and Europe had been hung in every hut and groups of men 
were constantly studying them. The Book and Periodical Depart- 
ment, during July and August, 1918, sent out 2,726,870 items, includ- 
ing textbooks and general literature, magazines and newspapers. 335 
men were lecturing in the camps in May, 1918, many of them with 
slides and films. At the Naval Bases in the United Kingdom, a work 
of exceptional quality if not of great extent, was performed by edu- 
cational secretaries. 



Educational Commission Meets the Post- Armistice Emergency 

Parallel with these activities the Commission steadily pushed 
forward its preparations for the operations that would become possi- 
ble with the altered conditions following the Armistice. A list of 



GIVING THE SOLDIER HIS OPPORTUNITY 157 

text and reference books and educational supplies estimated sufficient 
for an army of 2,000,000 men was prepared. This, probably the largest 
single order for educational supplies ever compiled, amounting to 
$2,000,000, was sent to America and placed with the publishers con- 
cerned. An aggregate of 1,795,483 books and pamphlets, costing 
$1,178,168, were actually delivered and paid for. 

A vigorous recruiting campaign for educators was inaugurated 
by the following cablegram from E. C. Carter to the War Personnel 
Board, in August, 1918, sent on the recommendation of Professor 
Erskine : 

"Recruit 600 men teachers as well as organizers in all educational 
fields, especially History, American and European Institutions, Tech- 
nical Subjects." 

Delays in the issuance of passports at Washington detained in 
America many volunteers for educational work until after the Armis- 
tice, when some found themselves no longer free to leave their duties 
in this country. 

A survey of the entire Y M C A personnel was made, and workers 
with educational experience and ability were located, so that if 
d-esired, they could be speedily transferred to educational work as 
soon as conditions might permit. 

Courses were outlined, and methods carefully considered and 
adopted, with especial consideration for the unusual characteristics 
of the unique student body to be dealt with. Regional and sub- 
ordinate directors were selected, and, in short, so far as possible, 
detailed specifications were prepared for the great work whose be- 
ginning could be foreseen but not definitely dated. 

Without this preparation, involving months of preliminary study 
and activity by expert educators, which the Army had no time to 
attend to (see letters of General Pershing and Secretary Baker, page 
160) the Army would have been wholly unready to avail itself of the 
incomparable morale-maintaining force which educational activities 
provide for soldiers suddenly relieved from the strain of prospective 
battle, and the soldiers would have been deprived of the educational 
benefits which they actually received and which could not by any 
human possibility have been improvised after the Armistice in time to 
be of any use. 

Building Up a School System in the Army 

The program outlined in General Orders No. 192 (1918) was consid- 
erably expanded and authorized by General Orders No. 9 and No. 30 
(1919). While not exhaustive, it aimed to provide something worth 
while for every grade of student, from those who could not read or 



158 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

write English to college students anxious to get back into the stream 
of academic pursuits and men who desired vocational instruction to 
fit them for more successful careers in their chosen occupations. Plans 
were worked out and textbooks provided for collegiate, agricultural, 
and vocational instruction, so that the A E F University later organ- 
ized at Beaune found essential supplies ready at hand. Arrangements 
were made for the admission of qualified officers and men to the 
universities of France, and the United Kingdom. 



Work of the Citizenship Bureau 

The nation's interest in its citizens was also safeguarded. A Citi- 
zenship Bureau was organized which undertook to spread reliable 
information and stimulate thought upon the great questions arising 
out of our industrial, social, and civic life. The YMCA appropriated 
upward of $1,000,000 for the work of this Bureau. Because of valued 
cooperation in the form of slides, films, exhibits, and literature from 
numerous organizations in the United States, the work was accom- 
plished for a considerably smaller sum. 

Starting the YMCA Educational Machinery 

In the Summer of 1918, the American Chief of the General Stafif 
announced that the War could be won in 1919. The Educational 
Commission, not anticipating the Armistice earlier, but believing 
that weather conditions would enforce a considerable reduction of 
military operations, was preparing to utilize the long Winter evenings 
when the soldiers, comparatively inactive, would naturally turn to 
the YMCA huts for recreation and mental change. Suddenly the 
Armistice was signed, and the time had come all too soon for putting 
the carefully prepared plans into active operation. School officers 
appointed in the various posts, and educational directors furnished 
by the YMCA began at once to act. Ten days after the Armistice 
Professor Erskine asked General Headquarters, by telegraph, if he 
might proceed to place soldiers in French universities. Post Schools 
were opened January 1, 1919, and Divisional Schools, and all the 
rest contemplated by General Order 192 and subsequent orders were 
quickly set up. Selections were made of qualified members of the 
A E F for detachment to attend French and British Universities. An- 
nouncements of courses were circulated among the soldiers before 
January 1, 1919, and applications for enrollment invited. A census 
was taken of officers and men who had experience as teachers, and 
more than 40,000 were detailed to serve as teachers in the schools 
under YMCA direction. The plans were expanded to include the 



GIVING THE SOLDIER HIS OPPORTUNITY 159 

Army of Occupation in Germany. Within two months of the Armis- 
tice the system was well under way. 

A E F University at Beaune 

Educational work with the A E F was crowned by the organiza- 
tion of an Army University by educational experts. The general plan 
was formed in January, 1919, by General Robert I. Reese, Chief 
Educational Officer of the A E F, and the Army Educational Com- 
mission. On February 7, General Reese appointed Col. Ira L. Reeves, 
former President of the University of Vermont, as Superintendent 
and Commanding Officer of the University. In just one month after 
that appointment, an unfinished hospital camp at the beautiful little 
city of Beaune had been chosen as a site, 200 buildings were com- 
pleted or altered and 175 new buildings erected, an administrative and 
teaching staff of nearly 1000 was secured, courses announced, and 
students received. 

As an indication of the equipment, the chemical laboratory was 
a building 50 by 200 feet, with a complete supply of utensils and 
reagents, where 600 men could perform chemical experiments at one 
time. The botanical laboratory was provided with 60 high power 
microscopes. Colonel Reeves appointed as Educational Director of 
the University, Prof. John Erskine, chairman of the Y M C A Educa- 
tional Commission. The facult}^ was recruited from professional 
teachers in the Army and directly from civil life in the United States 
through the Y M C A. It included both officers and privates, and the 
spectacle of a major reciting in calculus to an enlisted man was not 
uncommon. 

The following statement of purpose was issued by the University 
Council March 2, 1919: 

"The unusual conditions under which the American E F University 
begins its work, the absence of hampering traditions and the presence 
of unusual problems, all suggest an opportunity of organizing here 
such an educational institution as many of us would like to see in 
the United States — that is, a system so unified from the elementary 
to the graduate schools that every man can find in college, post 
school, or division school classes, the particular instruction that he 
needs." 

The first students, numbering about 500, were received March 7. 
At midterm, April 25, upward of 6000 students were enrolled in 398 
classes, representing 240 courses organized in 36 departments under 
11 colleges, the total class enrollments aggregating 13,243. The stu- 
dent register by States, was, in the words of the University Cataloo-ue, 
"almost a League of Nations as Avell as of States ; it is the summary 



160 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

of a remarkable roster of upward-looking- youth whose names repre- 
sent every State and Island Possession of the United States, as well 
as almost every country under the sun, yet they were all United 
States soldier boy students in the military garb of Uncle Sam at the 
American E F University in France." 

Army Assumes the Full Responsibility 

On April 15, 1919, at the request of the Y M C A Army Educational 
Commission, after several weeks' negotiation, the Army took over 
the educational work. A previous offer of the Army to reimburse the 
YMCA for textbooks and supplies was accepted, the sum of about 
$1,150,000 being paid. The educational personnel became members 
of the Army. The plan was not changed, and the methods worked 
out by the YMCA were carried out under the direction of the men 
who had devised them, with the results already given in the paragraph 
"Achievements Under the Army Educational Plan." 

General Pershing's Estimate of Y M C A Service 

In arranging this transfer. General Pershing wrote to E. C. Carter 
as follows on March 25, 1919: 

"It is desired, in conclusion, to express the highest appreciation 
of the work of the YMCA through its Educational Commission in 
organizing the educational work at a time when it was impracticable 
for the Army to do so, and for the continued assistance up to the 
present time in the wise development of the educational system in the 
A E F. The large number of well qualified educators brought to 
France by the YMCA during the past year will be of inestimable 
value to the Army in its educational work, and this contribution is 
especially appreciated." 

Secretary of War Baker's Appreciation of "Admirable Work" 

Hon. Newton D. Baker, Secretary of War, in a letter to Mr. 
William D. Sloane, Chairman of the National War Work Council, 
April 3, 1919, wrote: 

"In accepting this transfer on behalf of the Army, we wish to 
thank the YMCA for the admirable work which it did in initiating 
and carrying on this educational work at a time when because of 
the pressure of the all-engrossing business of actual fighting it would 
have been difficult for the Army to have undertaken it. 

"I have been familiar in a general way with the origination of 
the idea for an educational program for the A E F in the mind of 
Dr. Anson Phelps Stokes ; of the selection of Professor Erskine, 



CARRYING THE CANTEEN FOR THE ARMY 161 

President Butterfield, and Superintendent Spaulding, Dr. Sullivan, and 
Mr. Fairley for the corresponding duties on this side, and I under- 
stand from my associates that because of their accomplishments it 
is now a comparatively easy task for the Army to carry on the work 
which they undertook." 

Education for ex-Service Men 

The educational efforts of the Y M C A for soldiers have not ended 
with their discharge from the Army. Organized as the Y M C A 
United Schools, operating through local Y M C A's and through the 
correspondence method, opportunity is offered every ex-service man 
to pursue such courses as he may elect. The sum of $3,000,000 has 
already been set aside by the National War Work Council to provide 
free scholarships for ex-service men. This scholarship fund is allotted 
geographically in proportion to population and awards are made by 
local Y M C A Educational Service Committees. These committees 
consist of five members, of whom one is an ex-service man, one a rep- 
resentative employer, and one a representative industrial worker. Up 
to July 1, 1920, more than 25,000 men had been awarded scholarships, 
of whom approximately 17,000 are resident students at local Y M C A's, 
4000 residents at various' colleges and universities, and 4000 pursuing 
correspondence courses. 

Future Educational Work in the Army 

Perhaps the best comment upon the educational work thus in- 
augurated by the Y M C A is to be found in the fact that it has been 
retained by the Army and made a permanent part of soldier life in 
peace as well as war. On its recruiting posters the Army advertises, 
"Earn, travel and learn." For the last and most important of these 
advantages, the Army is following and developing plans and methods 
similar to those worked out by the Y M C A Army Educational Com- 
mission for the A E F. 

The Army, the Y M C A, and the American people owe a great 
debt to the substantial contribution made by Professor Erskine, 
President Butterfield, and Dr. Spaulding to the whole cause of edu- 
cation. 

VII— POST EXCHANGES— CARRYING THE CANTEEN 
BURDEN FOR THE ARMY 

The Y M C A, in addition to its free service requiring expenditures 
of $129,082,900 to American and AlHed Armies and Navies in the 
World War, took the burden of the Post Exchanges and Canteens 
off the shoulders of the American Army in France and operated at 



162 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

estimated cost for the soldiers a chain averaging for several months 
during the height of the Y work 1500 retail stores with a gross busi- 
ness amounting to over $50,000,000. 

It was necessary to set up a reserve to cover the estimated freight 
charges on the French railways as well as on ocean transport. The 
French railways charged the French Government, who, in turn, 
charged the American Army, and it was expected they would pass 
the bill to the Y. 

The Government finally ruled that YMCA freight carried on 
transports and French railways was at Government expense. This 
ruling was not officially conveyed to the Chief Secretary until May 5, 
1919, so that through practically the entire period of operations, the 
YMCA was obliged to maintain reserves to meet this change. By 
the release from this liability a surplus of $500,000 on Post Exchange 
account was created, and this, by a vote of the National War Work 
Council, was presented as a gift to the American Legion. 

Why the Y M C A Undertook the Post Exchange 

The Post Exchanges in peace time and in former wars were oper- 
ated by the various military units, for the purpose of enabling sol- 
diers to purchase conveniently minor articles of necessity* or luxury 
not furnished as rations or equipment. The labor involved was per- 
formed by soldiers detailed for that duty. In France no Post Ex- 
change had been opened when the matter came up in conference 
between General Pershing and the Chief Secretary. Owing to the 
inadvisability of sparing soldiers from active military duties, General 
Pershing was opposed to their establishment in the usual way, if 
it could be avoided. The use of every man in the paramount duties 
of training and fighting was obviously of prime importance. Sup- 
plying them with comforts and luxuries was secondary. 

The YMCA had offered, and sincerely desired, to help in any 
way possible. Here was an important task which it could perform. 
The proposition was not to take over existing exchanges, for none 
had been established. It was to undertake the responsibility for open- 
ing and operating exchanges for all troops as they arrived and wher- 
ever they should go. It was a field new to the Y, involving both 
risks and increased opportunities for service.' After careful con- 
sideration, and not without forebodings, the YMCA agreed with 
General Pershing to undertake this great task, believing that, as the 
representative of the multitude of American citizens who supported 
it, its plain duty was to bear whatever share of the Army's burden 
it could. Clearly this meant service to the men as individuals and 
to the Army as a whole. In making its decision the YMCA was 
actuated by motives of loyal citizenship and patriotic duty. 



CARRYING THE CANTEEN FOR THE ARMY 163 

General Pershing's General Order No. 33 (1917) 

General Pershing issued General Order No. 33, September 6, 1917, 
governing the operations of the Y M C A Post Exchanges. Record is 
hereby made of this order : 

"III. 1. The Y M C A is granted authority to establish exchanges 
for the American troops in France subject to such rules and regula- 
tions as may be issued from time to time by these Headquarters and 
under such control by commanding officers as will insure no interfer- 
ence with military operations and discipline. 

"2. These exchanges will be operated, in so far as the same are 
applicable to them, along the lines of post exchanges, whose places 
they are intended to fill, in order that officers and enlisted men may 
not be taken away for that purpose from their paramount military 
functions of training and fighting. 

"3. Commanding officers will therefore prohibit the maintenance 
of any Army exchanges in commands in which exchanges have been 
established by the Y M C A. 

"4. The establishment of these exchanges should not be limited 
to the areas more remote from active operations, but it is particularly 
desirable that they should be pushed as far to the front as military 
operations will permit in order that such comforts and conveniences 
as they iafford may reach the soldiers in the more advanced positions 
where they are most needed. 

"5. Commanding officers are enjoined to facilitate the efforts of 
the Association's officers in this work. They will arrange suitable 
locations according to circumstances for the establishment of these ex- 
changes, and accord such consideration to the officers of the Associa- 
tion engaged in this work and insure such facilities to them as would 
be enjoyed by those operating post exchanges under similar condi- 
tions, to the end that the purposes and objects of this undertaking may 
be duly accomplished." 

Difficulties in Supplying the Canteens 

The difficulties in securing supplies for the canteens, the congestion at 
the ports, the congestion in freight and traffic, the absolute necessity that 
first consideration be given to movements of armies and munitions, 
the inability of manufacturers to turn out the products, the fact that not 
more than 30 per cent of the provisions required to meet the demand of 
the soldiers could be procured — will be comprehended by even the most 
cursory glance at the following statements. It is sufficient at this point, 
however, to record the official statement made by General Pershing when 
the labors were completed at the close of the War and the Post Exchange 
was returned to the Army on March 31, 1919: 



164 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

General Pershing's Commendation of Y Service to Army 

"Permit me to thank you for the very valuable services and assist- 
ance which the YMCA has rendered to the A E F in handling these 
exchanges. Handicapped by a shortage of tonnage and of land trans- 
portation, the YMCA has by extra exertion served the Army better 
than could have been expected, and you may be assured that its aid 
has been a large factor in the final great accomplishment of the 
American Army." 

Problems Involved in This Tremendous Task 

The task was essentially a vast merchandising operation. It involved, 
as heretofore recorded, the maintenance of some 1500 retail stores. 
Each store served purchasers varying in number from a few hundreds to 
several thousands a day; men were constantly coming and going under 
orders. Military movements were often made known only after they had 
taken place. It was impossible to foresee the moment when a large stock 
of goods would be needed at a new point, or when the purchasing con- 
stituency of a well-stocked store would disappear. No business man was 
ever forced to operate a chain of stores on such a shifting basis. Distri- 
bution of supplies to these stores must be made either by overtaxed rail- 
ways or by motor trucks over roads in all stages of disrepair. 

The original order stipulated that "they should be pushed as far to 
the front as military operations will permit, in order that such com- 
forts and conveniences as they afford may reach the soldiers in the more 
advanced positions where they are most needed." This meant that goods 
must be taken forward over roads that on frequent occasions were mere 
series of shell holes; when the appearance of a truck by daylight was 
the signal for shelling by the enemy. They must be bought in America 
and transported; or they must be manufactured in France. If manu- 
factured, the raw materials must be found, bought and assembled. In 
either case competition for a share of the inadequate tonnage was always 
involved. Against an estimated need of 208.83 net weight tons .a month 
for each 25,000 men the War Department allotted 100 tons gross weight. 
During the Summer of 1918 it became impossible for the Quartermaster's 
Corps even to fulfill these promises. Not until January, 1918, were the 
proper amounts delivered to the Y direct from Quartermaster's supplies. 

Business Organization Behind the Canteen 

The necessity was to create an organization to operate purchasing, 
accounting, manufacturing, importing, warehousing, transporting and 
retailing functions, handling a variety of merchandise comparable to that 
of a country store, in a manner to satisfy individual soldiers, without 
interfering with military operations. Some of the ablest organizing 



CARRYING THE CANTEEN FOR THE ARMY 165 

business brains of America responded to the summons of the Y for aid 
to supervise and direct this great enterprise, and its workers in the field 
faced one more test of adaptability and resourcefulness. 

Accomplishment of This Service to the Army 

This accomplishment can only be summarized here: Canteen or Post 
Exchange goods were distributed at 1068 points September 1, 1918; 
this number steadily increased so that in January, 1919, Canteens and 
Post Exchanges were operated at more than 1500 points, ranging from 
large hotels or casinos in leave areas where thousands of men might be 
served in a day to the hundreds of points served by rolling kitchens 
consisting of camion and trailer serving men at the front. Goods to 
the value of more than $50,000,000 were sold. In a period of eighteen 
months, from May 1, 1918, to October 31, 1919, the gross sales were 
approximately $40,000,000. x\t one time or another 159 different kinds 
of articles were sold. 

Twenty biscuit factories producing more than 10,000,000 packages 
a month were operated; sixteen chocolate or candy factories with a 
monthly capacity of 20,000,000 tablets or bars ; and eight jam factories 
producing monthly 2,000,000 tins. 

1,834,847,200 cigarets, 48,468,750 cigars, 3,205,191 pounds of smok- 
ing tobacco, and 2,756,506 pounds of chewing tobacco were sold, 
valued at $12,546,661. 

Goods to the amount of $28,637,322 were purchased in America, 
requiring 52,395 ship tons for transport across the ocean. Goods pur- 
chased overseas aggregated $11,769,211. This covers only the period 
from May 1, 1918, to October 31, 1919, and does not include factory, 
warehouse, motor transport, ocean and rail transportation, nor any 
overhead charges. 

Three great base warehouses, the largest covering more than half 
an acre, were built at Gievres, a junction point to which railroads 
converged from the base ports, and from which they radiated towards 
the front. Here also the great Army warehouses were located. At 
this point the Y M C A, in the seven months from July 1, 1918, to 
January 31, 1919, received 1158 cars and dispatched 1204 cars, not in- 
cluding the goods moved by motor trucks. 

Army Orders on Sale of Goods 

General Order 33 directed that the Y M C A exchanges should be 
operated along the lines of the Army Post Exchanges, whose places they 
were intended to fill. The Army Post Exchanges were run for the 
benefit of the company or regimental fund. While certain articles ob- 



166 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

tained from the Quartermaster were sold at cost, there was always a 
variety of other goods on which a profit was sought and made. 

The Army authorities expected the YMCA exchanges to be run 
in the same way, as is shown by a letter from the Adjutant General, 
explaining General Order 33, September 28, 1917. 

"No provision has been made for any division of the profits accru- 
ing from the exchanges among the organizations patronizing the same. 
The YMCA authorities have agreed to expend any profits accruing 
from the exchanges entirely for the benefit and amusement of the sol- 
diers. Inasmuch as this exchange service has been entirely voluntary 
and as the principal object of the YM CA in France is to minister to 
the needs of our soldiers, it is not believed that any regulations are nec- 
essary which would fix the percentage of profits. The history and repu- 
tation of the YMCA are sufficient guarantees against any reasonable 
conduct of the exchanges. Sales will be made at a slight advance over 
cost price plus cost of operation of the exchanges." 

The YMCA made no attempt, however, to realize a profit. It did 
not seek to recover the cost of operation, making no charge for use of 
warehouses, huts or equipment, for the services of secretaries or of the 
numerous civilian employes engaged in the operation of the canteen, 
nor for accounting or other overhead expense. All this was considered 
as welfare work and was so charged in the accounting. Its sole aim 
was to recover merchandise cost and no more, prices being fixed on 
the basis of cost of goods, freight and insurance, with a margin of safety 
as small as would be adequate to protect it against possible loss through 
submarine attack, theft or enemy shell fire. 

It should be clearly recognized that the assumption of the Post Ex- 
changes forced the YMCA to function on two slightly different 
planes. Simultaneously it conducted free welfare service with an ex- 
penditure of more than $129,000,000 and a commercial operation with 
a gross turnover of more than $50,000,000. First it aimed to provide 
free for the soldiers such educational and recreational facilities as the 
most progressive communities provide for their citizens, such as play- 
grounds, baths, reading rooms, libraries, schools, concerts, movies, re- 
ligious privileges, etc. Second, because of abnormally high prices for 
those things that citizens buy to suit their own taste, it undertook to 
provide for the soldiers hotels, restaurants and general stores where they 
could find sleeping and eating facilities and buy candy, tobacco, toilet 
articles and the like at prices not only lower than the prevailing prices 
in France, but lower than they were accustomed to pay at home. Owing 
to the restrictions upon his freedom of movement, the soldier was neces- 
sarily subject to exploitation by local profiteers as well as to advanced 
prices due to war conditions. It was to protect him from these that the 
YMCA entered the commercial field, because to protect the "doughbov" 



CARRYING THE CANTEEN FOR THE ARMY 167 

was essentially welfare work. Its two functions were parallel and often 
blended, yet they were both undertaken in the same spirit of service, 
and if the YMCA is to be fairly judged they must be separated in 
thought as they could not be separated in operation. 

The money contributed by the American people had not been given 
for a commercial operation. The YMCA therefore kept the most 
scrupulous records of its transactions, and though at only two periods 
it was obliged to borrow from outside capital to conduct the exchanges, 
it considered the funds invested in the Post Exchange as borrowed 
capital which it must be in a position to recover and repay, and was 
governed by this obligation in fixing prices. 

Price-Fixing an Intricate Business Problem 

The necessity of conducting the business without either profit or loss 
set a problem in price-fixing which would have been difficult under any 
conditions. Under the conditions which had to be met, the problem was 
almost impossible. The Y M C A made no charge for use of quarters, 
services of personnel, accounting or other overhead, but added only the 
cost of transportation and insurance to the original purchase price. This 
caused a slight increase in selling price on certain articles, as compared 
with the Quartermaster, due to two elements: the Y in some instances 
had to pay more for goods because it bought in smaller quantities and 
in the open market and frequently when the pressure for certain lines 
was unusually great, paid fancy prices rather than fail to get goods that 
were in great demand. The Quartermaster's goods were transported by 
the Government free of cost, while the Y had to pay for all the trans- 
portation of its goods in the United States to the ports, and had to pay 
fancy war prices for most of the goods carried across the Atlantic on 
commercial liners. Furthermore, as the Government did not make a de- 
cision until as late as the Summer of 1919 as to whether it would charge 
the YMCA for carrying its goods on Army transports, nor the rate to 
be fixed if charge was made, it was necessary to set up a reserve fund 
to meet such charges. 

There were further elements of uncertainty in price-fixing. Goods 
were often ready for distribution before the original purchase price 
or the freight charges on commercial ships were known in France. This 
was occasioned by congestion in the mails. The Censor forbade cable- 
grams announcing shipments in which names of ships or ports or dates 
of arrival or departure were mentioned. The goods were ready for dis- 
tribution, the soldiers were clamoring for them, and they were sold even 
though the proper price could in some instances only be approximated 
It was inevitable that prices should occasionally be too high, sometimes 
too low. and usually slightly higher than the Quartermaster's prices. 



168 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

The Y's procedure was never criticized by those who knew the whole 
situation. 

Beginning August 1, 1918, all forms of tobacco were sold at Quar- 
termaster's prices in the Y canteens; and after January 1, 1919, all 
goods were sold at Quartermaster's prices. 

Final Accounting on the Post Exchanges 

When the accounts were finally balanced on December 31, 1919, the 
net result of this business extending over two years and conducted under 
such uncertainty, was a surplus of $508,899.91, or approximately one per 
cent, of the gross turnover. Commercial experts have given high praise 
to the business skill that achieved so close an approximation to the result 
aimed at. Against this surplus there were possible charges on various 
accounts, unused reserves provided for losses by theft, sinking of ships, 
etc., and for Government transportation, estimated at more than $1,- 
500,000. If these had been needed or exacted there would have resulted 
a deficit of $1,000,000. The War Department had, however, cancelled 
the transportation charge, and the resulting surplus of half a million 
dollars on Post Exchange account was presented to the American Legion 
by unanimous vote of the National War Work Council. 

Free Distribution Continued at All Times 

It must be understood that the YMCA continued at all times its 
free distribution of its own goods. The rolling kitchens dispensed 
their hot coffee, chocolate, and other products to soldiers without charge. 
Secretaries carried on their backs, where trucks could not go, supplies 
of cigarets, tobacco, and chocolate, as gifts. Every secretary operat- 
ing a canteen had discretionary powers to give away supplies to men 
who had no money to buy. Some men used these powers too freely, 
others were too niggardly, but generally the tired, hungry, needy soldier 
found generous treatment. Supplies given away in free service in these 
canteens amounted in value to $2,664,253.61. In addition to the large 
quantities of food, drinks, and smokes, the free distribution and provision 
of athletics and entertainment supplies, books, magazines, stationery, huts, 
entertainments, and so on, supplemented free canteen service and in 
financial cost was greatly in excess of this. 

With the work completed, and the necessity for further service re- 
moved, on January 29, 1919, the Chief Secretary renewed his request to 
General Pershing to relieve the YMCA of operation of the Post Ex- 
change, in view of the fact that the exigency under which it had under- 
taken that task no longer existed. At the close of business March 31, 
1919, the Post Exchanges were transferred to the Army. There were on 
hand goods to the value of 60,000,000 francs, of which 20,000,000 francs' 



THE SOLDIERS' HOLIDAYS 169 

worth was reserved for the wet canteens which the Y M C A continued 
to operate until the completion of its activities. The commendation of 
the services rendered by the Y under the greatest difficulties, issued by 
General Pershing, is recorded at the beginning of this statement. 



VIII— LEAVE AREAS— THE SOLDIERS' HOLIDAYS 
BEHIND THE FIRING LINES 

The Y Became "an Arm of the Army" 

One of the great problems that the Y M C A was privileged to assist 
in solving for the Army resulted in the institution of an entirely new 
feature in modern warfare, — the establishment of the Leave Areas for 
soldiers. This, according to military authorities, was one of the most 
important welfare services rendered in the entire War — and developed 
to such an extent that it became an essential factor in the military plans. 
Thus, the Y became "an arm of the Army" charged with the respon- 
sibility of the welfare of soldiers on leave. 

In fulfilling this responsibility the Y M C A took over the entire 
amusement and recreation facilities of the leading French holiday resorts 
and watering places. It leased the beautiful casinos for which those 
resorts are famous, so extensive that in them the Y could operate simul- 
taneously theatrical and cinema shows, concerts, dancing, games and 
social amusements of every kind, as well as restaurants and cafeterias. 
It leased besides other large restaurants, theaters, and lake and river 
steamboats running daily trips loaded with American soldiers. After 
a survey of the lodging and feeding facilities of all the resorts in France 
it cooperated with the Army in securing the exclusive use of selected 
hotels and pensions with accommodations for more than 40,000 men 
at one time. 

Twelve Leave Areas, with 28 centers in well-known towns, were 
opened in France for men enjoying seven day leaves. In six places 
including Paris, Recreation Centers were established for men having one 
day or week-end leaves from nearby points, or for casuals with a few 
hours on their hands. Five Leave Areas were provided in the Rhine 
Valley for the Army of Occupation, two in Italy and one in England. 
This was accomplished with an organization of 885 secretaries, 408 men 
and 477 women trained for the work. 

More than 1,100,000 men were entertained, of whom upward of 
450,000 enjoyed "Class A" or seven day leaves, and about 700,000 one 
day or week-end leaves. In addition, 780,000 men billeted in the Rhine 
Valley Areas enjoyed the special entertainment features in their free 
hours. 

The operation of these Leave Areas and Recreation Centers cost 



170 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

$1,143,800, exclusive of the cost of theatrical, musical and cinema enter- 
tainments and of athletic and other supplies furnished. 

The Army designated the areas and centers, on the Y M C A's sug- 
gestions, besides providing transportation and an allowance for food and 
lodging for soldiers on leave while on a duty status. The Y furnished 
all recreation, entertainment and service. 

General Pershing's Leave Problem 

The leave problem was especially difficult for . the A E F. French 
soldiers could spend their leaves at their own homes. England was 
just across the Channel, and although congestion of Channel shipping 
severely limited leaves in "Blighty," it was nevertheless possible for a 
very large number of such leaves to be granted to British soldiers. 
For Americans, leave at home was out of the question. Yet it was clear 
that they must have leaves, since it was beyond human power to endure 
fighting conditions or even the strenuous life of the Services of Supply 
without relief. 

For a variety of reasons it was undesirable that they should follow 
the American instinct to visit Paris. The extraordinary congestion in 
that city alone was sufficient to render impossible the accommodation of 
large num.bers of Americans on holiday. Equally they could not be 
allowed to scatter through France. Military exigencies required that 
they should be somehow kept within easy and sure recall for active 
service in an emergency — a situation which was vividly illustrated when 
the first Leave Area was emptied, barely a month after opening, at 
the time of the great German drive in March, 1918. 

On the other hand, if the leaves were to result as desired, in a restor- 
ation to the normal after months of the abnormal conditions of camp 
life, a prime necessity was to relax the restraints of military routine 
and discipline. The man must feel free — free to sleep and get up when 
he felt like it, free to eat what and when he pleased and to go and come 
and amuse himself as he chose. But the dangers of such freedom in a 
foreign country were obvious. The forces that prey on idle men would 
be alert to take advantage of the opportunity and the effect on the men 
and on the Arm}^ might be extremely injurious. 

The Y's Assistance in Solving the Problem 

For the solution of these problems the Army invited the assistance 
of the Y M C A. The YMCA believed that if the men were offered 
ample and varied recreation of the kinds they knew and liked, they 
would freely choose these rather than deleterious pleasures. It believed 
also that it could, though at great effort, provide a wide choice of amuse- 
ments, all beneficial, in a program running from early morning until 



THE SOLDIERS' HOLIDAYS 171 

late at night, so attractive that no soldier would have a single moment 
in which he would be at a loss for congenial occupation. The results 
fully justified both beliefs. 

On August 3, 1917, the Chief Secretary outlined to the Commander- 
in-Chief and the American Ambassador a proposal that the Y M C A 
should undertake responsibility for operating one or more of the famous 
holiday resorts of France, such as Chamonix, as a leave center for 
American soldiers. It would obtain, as nearly as possible, control of 
the entire hotel and amusement facilities of the region, and seek the 
cooperation of local civilian officials in maintaining such public social con- 
ditions as were desirable. The Army was to designate such resorts as 
the places in which leaves must be spent, and the Y M C A was to ar- 
range for living accommodations and provide amusement. 

General Pershing stated that in principle the plan met with his entire 
approval. 

General Headquarters Commissions the Y 

Mr. W. A. Tener, one of the first members of the Y staff in France, 
formerly in Y service as General Secretary in Manila, was deputed to 
investigate certain French resorts. As the Canadian Y M C A was at 
that time considering uniting with the American YMCA in providing 
facilities for Canadian officers and men at French resorts instead of 
England, several Y officers of the Canadian Army accompanied Mr. 
Tener on his first trip of investigation. It soon became apparent, how- 
ever, that it was not feasible to carry out the plan as a joint effort, 
owing to the scale on which the American project would have to be de- 
veloped. On suggestion of officials of the Office National du Tourisme 
of the French Interior Office the commission visited Chamonix and Nice. 
In its report of September 4, 1917, the former was recommended with the 
latter as an alternative. Because of the proximity of Chamonix to the 
Swiss border international precautions regarding neutral boundaries pre- 
cluded the possibility of its development as a leave center until after the 
Armistice. 

Cooperating with French Officials 

On October 29, 1917, Rev. Karl S. Gate of Boston, a young Epis- 
copal rector, began the organized development of the field. Aided by 
counsel of French Army officials, and of the Bureau du Tourisme, and 
several prominent American residents of Paris, a list of watering places 
was compiled for the Army giving a survey of the total number of 
available hotel beds in France. Immediate investigation trips were made 
to the Savoy region, resulting in the survey of several resorts, conferences 
with leading officials and hotel proprietors, and the ultimate selection 



172 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

of Aix-les-Bains, Chambery, and Challes-les-Eaux as the centers of 
the first leave area designated by the Army as the Savoy Area. 

These leave centers were opened on February 16, 1918. The 
Grand Cercle at Aix-les-Bains, famous around the world, was con- 
verted into a club house for the American doughboy. With theaters 
running, several movie performances a day in the cinema hall, dancing 
in the ballrooms, continual canteen service in several parts of the 
casino, rough and tumble frolics every night after the show^, athletics 
in the form of baseball, volley ball, soccer, hikes in the mountains, boat 
excursions on the lake, thermal baths — the soldier's vacation was a 
continuous round of fun. 

In charge of this undertaking were Mr. Franklin S. Edmonds, 
of Philadelphia, as Divisional Secretary, assisted by Mrs. Theodore 
Roosevelt, Jr., as head of the women workers. From the outset the 
experiment was fraught with obstacles which might have spelled immedi- 
ate failure. Nothing but indomitable courage and persistency saved this 
situation for the Army. By provision of the first General Orders No. 6 
authorizing leaves, only those soldiers could go who had a required 
amount of money in pocket. Attainment of this sum by the average 
soldier was found generally impossible after deduction of war risk 
insurance premiums, allotments and payments on Liberty Bonds. Few 
were able to take advantage of leaves when granted. After the departure 
of the first permissionnaires, hotels at Aix-les-Bains and the other two 
centers, running out of .season at full expense, were left empty. Some 
never had been occupied. 

The YMCA solved the problem for both the soldier and the 
Army. The Army's attention was called to the unfairness of sol- 
diers defraying their own expenses when ordered on leave in the 
line of duty. Difficulty was encountered in reaching the proper 
authorities who recognized the Army's obligation to provide rations 
and lodgings to men when ordered on leave as in camp. Strong 
opposition to the leave area idea developed. Personal appeals at the 
Services of Supply Headquarters, combined with the efforts before 
the General Staff at General Headquarters, finally brought about a 
satisfactory General Order which put the Leave Areas on a successful 
basis — and gave the soldier in France his holiday leave away from the 
battlefields, where for a few days respite he could return to civil life. 

Leave Area Department Organized 

A separate department devoted exclusively to the development of 
this project was established during the big German offensives of March, 
April and May, 1918. Because of his legal ability in executing leases 
and general administrative experience, Mr. Edmonds was chosen head 



THE SOLDIERS' HOLIDAYS 173 

of the department. Mr. Gate's judgment in selection of leave centers 
and genius for organization made him equally valuable. He had laid 
the foundations on a practical, working basis. He organized seven areas 
and one recreation center besides making the preliminary investigation 
for nearly every place operated, succeeding Mr. Edmonds upon the 
latter's retirement a year later. James A. Sprenger and C. A. Russell 
were also associated in an executive capacity, and largely responsible for 
the leave areas' success, together with Mrs. Roosevelt, who became head 
of all the women in the leave area field. 

Army Commands Y to Open 25 New Leave Areas 

All leaves, which had been annulled for three months during the 
heavy fighting, were restored late in June, 1918. Due to the extremely 
rapid increase of incoming Americans, the Army, now fully appreciative 
of the value of the leave area idea, requested the Y M C A to develop 
immediately twenty-five new centers equipped with accommodation for 
50,000 men. Using the Savoy Area as a pattern and training school 
for new leave workers, plans were rushed for the opening of the Brit- 
tany, Auvergne, Dauphine, Ardeche, Herault, Gard, Riviera, Pyrenees, 
Alpine, Annecy and Biarritz Areas. 

The towns operated as leave centers within jurisdiction of the various 
areas comprised Aix-les-Bains, Ghambery, Ghalles-les-Eaux, St. Malo, 
Dinard, Parame, St. Servan, La Bourboule, Montdore, Grenoble, Uriage- 
les-Bains, Allevard-les-Bains, Vals-les-Bains, Lamalou-les-Bains, Nimes, 
Nice, Gannes, Monte Garlo, Menton, Luchon, Gautefets, Eaux-Bonnes, 
Pau, Ghamonix, St. Gervais, Le Fayet, Annecy and Biarritz. 

Madame JofFre and the Recreation Centers 

To this great enterprise, covering a multitude of activities from 
Brittany's coast to the Riviera, from the shores of Biscay to the Rhine, 
and from the Pyrenees to the Alps, was added the system of Recre- 
ation Genters. These provided entertainment and recreation for men 
on short leaves, of a few hours or a week-end. The idea was suggested 
by the Association of French Homes, an organization formed to give 
American officers a glimpse of French home life. Madame Joffre, wife 
of the Marshal, was Honorary President. Its executive head was 
Madame Edouard de Billy, wife of the alternate delegate of the French 
High Gommission to the United States, a brilliant French woman 
much interested in the promotion of Franco-American friendship. 

The first Recreation Genter was opened in the Hotel de la Plage at 
Ste. Marguerite, for Army and Navy officers at St. Nazaire. There 
Mme. Borel, widow of the Portuguese diplomat, assisted by Miss Mar- 
garet Sharp, daughter of the American Ambassador, conducted a social 



174 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

program through the Summer of 1918. The experiment proved so 
successful that similar centers were opened at Trez-Hir, near Brest, 
Nancy, close to the Front, and Valengay, near Issoudun. Later Lyons, 
a railroad center where great numbers of men were obliged to wait for 
trains, was added, and after the Armistice similar work was estab- 
lished in Paris for men and officers on leave. 

Swimming Pools for the Army at Nancy 

The recreation center at Nancy opened in July, 1918, soon 
became one of the most valuable developments of the recreation idea. 
The Hotel de I'Europe was rented as an Officers' Club, and a large 
office building opposite the railroad station was fitted up as a dormitory 
for enlisted men with accommodations for four hundred. The Nancy 
Thermal, a magnificent bathing establishment which had just been com- 
pleted by the Summer of 1914, and which contained a magnificent swim- 
ming pool, 170 feet by 70 feet, with twenty-eight hundred litres of natural 
warm sulphur water per minute. Summer and Winter, was leased. It 
was fortunate that the Y had made this arrangement, for in a short time 
Nancy became a center for a large portion of soldiers, who were concen- 
trating first for the St. Mihiel Drive, and secondly, for the battle of 
the Argonne. Realizing the advantage which this concentration presented, 
the Y Leave Area Department requested the Army to install a salvage 
plant at the Nancy Thermal where soldiers bathing would have the 
opportunity of securing fresh underwear, stockings, shoes, and other 
supplies. This was done and from August, 1918, to February, 1919, 
120,000 men took advantage of the baths at Nancy. In addition the Y 
served a free lunch at this place, and installed a cinema in the enter- 
tainment hall. For a long period of time the Second Army had its leave 
trains, averaging 1200 soldiers, center at Nancy, where the men all re- 
ceived a fresh outfit of clothing, then bathed, then lunched at the Y, 
and then departed on leave trains clean and happy. This recreation 
center was also used in November, 1918, as a place for the entertainment 
of prisoners of war, not only Americans but British, French, ItaHans 
and Russians, who had been given their freedom at the signing of the 
Armistice. With no directions as to how to return to the Allied lines, 
nor supplies, many of these found their way on foot into Nancy and 
were received, bathed, fed, and entertained by the Y. 

The Show Place of the Leave Area 

Valengay was perhaps the show place of the recreation centers for 
it possessed an elaborate historical background in the Chateau de 
Valengay, famous since mediaeval ages as the home of the d'Etampes 
family, John Law of the notorious Mississippi Bubble, of the Perigord- 



THE SOLDIERS' HOLIDA YS 175 

Talleyrands, and as the prison of Ferdinand of Spain while a captive 
of Napoleon. This celebrated building was generously thrown open to 
the Y free of charge, by the Duke of Valengay. 

The Rhine Valley Area was opened after the Armistice, following 
the advance of the Army of Occupation. Five centers were conducted 
at Coblenz, Neuwied, Treves, Andernach, and Neuenahr. These were 
operated under supervision of the Paris Leave Area office until May 
7, 1919, when they were turned over to the control of the Third Army 

Y M C A at Coblenz, to be merged eventually with the general 

Y M C A work within its respective Army divisions in Germany. 

Leave Areas for Negro Troops 

In view of the high grade of the work attained by all of the colored 
secretaries, men and women, in France, it is not surprising to find that 
their work in the Leave Areas was of such quality as to receive the 
highest commendation from General Headquarters. 

In December, 1918, the centers of Chambery and Challes-les-Eaux in 
the Savoy Area were set aside for negro soldiers on leave. Each was 
conducted by a colored secretarial staff which managed permissionnaires 
in their charge in a manner highly commended by the French officials 
and inhabitants of the two cities. The principal difficulty here was in 
securing a competent colored personnel for which President John Hope 
of Morehouse College, head of the colored secretaries department, made 
a special trip to the United States. Mr. William L. Anderson was placed 
in charge of the two negro centers. He was assisted by Mrs. Helen L. 
Curtis of New Orleans, widow of a former American Consul to Liberia. 



Army and Y Work Together in All Leave Areas 

The cooperative plan in all Leave Areas was as follows : Upon 
assignment to leaves, troops were transported to the various areas in 
special trains. They were met at the stations by Y personnel, and reg- 
istered by the American Provost Marshal, then assigned to hotels oper- 
ated by their respective proprietors under Y supervision. 

In each city or resort the Y M C A maintained some large social 
center, usually the casino or chief amusement place. On its list were 
some of the most noted institutions of the kind in Europe including 
the Grand Cercle at Aix-les-Bains, the High Life Casino at Dinard, 
the St. Malo Casino, the Jetee Promenade at Nice, the Cercle Nautique 
at Cannes, the Palais du Soleil at Beausoleil, overlooking Monaco, all 
converted into elaborate club houses. In the Recreation Centers were 
the Coblenz Fest Halle, the Kurhaus and Roman baths at Neuenahr 
the magnificent Palais de Glace in Paris, numerous historic chateaux 



176 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

such as the Chateau de Valengay and many smaller casinos of lesser 
note throughout France. 

Tours for the Soldiers on Leave 

A phase of the Association's activities which continued popular as 
long as there were soldiers in France was the affording of facilities for 
sightseeing. This was conducted at all the Leave Areas and in many 
of the larger cities. The work at Paris illustrates the volume and popu- 
larity of this service. The granting of thi:ee-day leaves in Paris to 
members of the A E F necessarily resulted in a great expansion of the 
sight-seeing work which had been carried on on a small scale in connec- 
tion with the hotels for officers and enlisted men, and early in 1919 it 
was organized as a separate Department of the Paris Division. 

Beginning with a personnel of nineteen, it came within a few weeks 
to demand the services of more than one hundred workers. In the 
city itself, sight-seeing tours, on foot, by motor and by boat, were 
conducted, including all the points of general interest. Arrangements 
were also made for trips of special interest to particular groups, such as 
one to places made familiar by the novels of Victor Hugo, another 
through the sewers of Paris, designed particularly for engineers, and 
others to the Sevres Pottery Works and to the plant of the Gobelin 
Tapestry Manufacturing Company. It was found possible in connection 
with this work to secure a number of privileges which are not usually open 
to visitors to Paris. Of the out-of-town tours, the one to Versailles 
proved to be the most popular. After traveling conditions had 
become more nearly normal, a daily excursion by train to Rheims and 
Chateau-Thierry was inaugurated. 

Through all the picturesque country, the doughboy was enabled to 
visit the most interesting places. Some of the soldiers became en- 
thusiastic Alpine climbers, scaling many of the tallest peaks. Guide 
books were furnished giving historical details of the country visited. Boat 
excursions on Lakes Bourget and Annecy, the Seine, up and down the 
Rhine were regular features besides water festivals on the Mediterranean 
at Nice and Menton. 

Some of the most noted opera houses of France were rented by the 
YMCA for theatrical performances. In addition to an extensive 
program of concerts, vaudeville, opera, soldier shows, instructive lec- 
tures, movies and athletics the YMCA conducted educational classes 
at the leave areas for the benefit of those wishing to continue certain 
courses during spare hours. 

From December, 1917, to July 1, 1919, 703,463 persons took 
advantage of the Association's sight-seeing service in Paris, of whom 
554,400, coming after March 15, received it free of charge, at a cost 
to the Y M C A of more than 300,000 francs, exclusive of salaries of 



SENDING THE SOLDIERS' MONEY HOME 111 

secretaries and upkeep of motor cars. In the later stages of re- 
patriation, sightseeing was continued, and as late as October and Novem- 
ber, 1919, 4000 soldiers enjoyed this service. 

The Leave Areas represented a service of the most varied char- 
•acter. In its entirety the American people may regard with satisfaction 
the general excellence of its accomplishments. Throughout there was the 
closest cooperation with the French as well as the English, through the 
instrumentality of the International Hospitality League in England, in 
the endeavor to supply every comfort to the American soldier in his 
leisure moments. 

IX— REMITTANCES— SENDING THE SOLDIERS' 
MONEY BACK HOME 

Free Banking for the Soldiers 

An early problem for the soldier in France, and later in Great Britain 
and Russia, was the care of his money. The Army took all other prob- 
lems off his shoulders ; food, billets, regulations were provided for him, 
but he alone was responsible for the safeguarding of his personal funds — 
both the money he brought with him and his "Army pay." The great 
difficulties he would encounter in sending money home from out of the 
way villages in France were foreseen by F. E. Powell of the Anglo- 
American Oil Co., London, who was acting as an advisor of the Chief 
Secretary, and who urged the arrangement of a remittance service by 
the Y M C A. Accepting the suggestion the Y offered to receive and 
forward remittances from soldiers without charge. 

As a result of this service the Y found itself engaged in extensive 
banking operations as trustees of funds. 

The Y on behalf of the members of the A E F forwarded 351,460 
remittances, involving the sum of $21,558,214.41 to the relatives of 
the soldiers throughout the world, without any charge for handling. 

This service was especially valuable in the front areas and the 
combat zones. In the storm and stress of battle with men wounded, 
gassed or dying it was impossible to find any other means of sending 
the money home except through the Association. All red tape was 
dispensed with. Just before going into battle, large numbers of men 
made remittances. The soldier handed the money to the Y secretary, 
who gave a receipt, sometimes on a scrap of paper or on the back of 
an envelope. A letter of advice was forwarded to Paris, which in turn 
instructed New York headquarters to pay a specified sum to a designated 
payee. These letters were entrusted either to the ordinary mails or to 
the Navy itself, for transmission and for safety and security. Two weeks 
later, carbon copies of the same advices were forwarded for verification 



178 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

and for substitution for the original advices in case the originals should 
be lost or destroyed. This method of transmitting funds, while safe 
and acceptable at the time to the soldiers, was subject to many delays, 
the causes of which delays were entirely beyond the control of the Y 
organization. 

This service soon became very popular with the soldiers; the number 
of remittances grew rapidly. The work of the YMCA of forwarding 
remittances for the troops in the A E F was begun in the latter part of 
February, 1918, and continued even in 1920. In February, 1918, the 
month the service began, there were 68 remittances forwarded. In 
October of the same year, only eight months subsequently, the number of 
remittances despatched amounted to 59,423 — and from this the service 
grew to the grand total of 351,460, aforementioned. 

Transmitting Large Funds by Cable 

The Association also transmitted money by cable. To New York 
alone the Y cabled 549 remittances, aggregating $98,287.39. 

With the exception of some cable transfers for which a charge was 
made the majority were transmitted without any charge for the service, 
although it cost the Association 32 cents for every remittance forwarded. 
It would have cost the soldiers more than $112,000 for the actual expense 
incurred for this service. It is estimated that if the entire amount had 
been forwarded through the banks it would have cost the men in 
uniform $150,000. If the money had been transmitted through the 
Army Post Office, it would have cost $97,000. 

In spite of all the money handled, the numerous obstacles en- 
countered, the great handicaps under which the Y personnel labored, 
only 263 remittances remain undelivered. This constitutes less than 
one-thirteenth of 1% or one remittance in 1300. These have been 
held up mainly on account of the payee's address being defective and 
every effort is being made to effect delivery. 

The fluctuating rate of exchange involved considerable loss to the 
Association. As is shown elsewhere, the average conversion rate for 
the year 1918 was 5.70 francs to the dollar. In October, 1919, the rate 
had depreciated to 8.78 francs to the dollar, and in December, 1919, 
to 10.90 francs to the dollar. Because of the large zone of operations 
and the impossibility of obtaining reliable information of the rate of 
conversion, the soldier was given the benefit of any doubt. 

It may be interesting to observe that the average remittance to the 
United States equalled $61.41 ; to other parts of the world $59.52; the 
average remittance per cable $179.01 ; while the average remittance 
throughout the whole operations amounted to $61.05. 

In addition to the foregoing, the Y developed an extensive banking 



THE CRUSADE FOR GOD AND COUNTRY 179 

business. The French banks refused to cash American checks other than 
Army pay checks. The duty then devolved on the Y to serve the 
soldier and assist him in cashing his checks. For some time it made 
payment on pay checks, personal checks and checks on American banks 
in large numbers. This was especially heavy at week-ends and holidays. 

While the Y cashed the checks according to the varying rate of 
exchange, it did not charge anything for the service as the banks did. 
The consequent saving to the soldiers from this source alone is esti- 
mated to have aggregated $100,000. 

Money orders aggregating $20,500,000 were handled in the Y huts in 
the United States. 



X— RELIGION AND CITIZENSHIP— THE CRUSADE 
FOR GOD AND COUNTRY 

Spiritual Forces Which Support Civilization 

All unselfish service to humanity is essentially of a religious char- 
acter. The work of all the relief and welfare organizations in the World 
War was a demonstration of practical Christianity. The War, in fact, 
was fought to maintain Christian civilization. The Y M C A in all its 
activities, whether in entertainment, athletics, education, or in any other 
phase of helpfulness to the armies, was actuated at all times by the teach- 
ings and spirit of Christ. In full expression of its world-wide watch- 
word: The development of young manhood in "Body, Mind, and 
Spirit," the Y M C A's ministration to the spiritual needs of the soldiers 
is one of its noblest services. 

There was a total attendance estimated at 37,000,000 at the special 
services conducted by the Religious Work Department of the Y M C A 
in the home camps and overseas. These services were held in huts, 
in auditoriums, in any buildings that were available, and often out- 
doors when the weather permitted. 

More than 100,000 Bible classes were held in the home camps, 
attended by more than 3,000,000. Between 3,000,000 and 4,000,000 
copies of the New Testament and portions of Scripture were distri- 
buted among the troops by the Y in cooperation with the American 
Bible Society and the Pocket Testament League. 

More than 200 music directors were trained and sent into the 
camps at home and overseas. 

Over 1,000,000 song books were circulated by the Association in 
hundreds of camps. 

More than 15,000,000 copies of special religious books and pamph- 
lets were printed and distributed by the Y M C A. These had been 
prepared by noted church leaders in the United States. 



180 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

The War Roll pledge, early adopted by the Y as a declaration of 
Christian purposes, and practically the only form used at any meeting 
under Association auspices, was signed by upwards of 500,000 men. 

The whole character of Y M C A service being religious, although 1462 
clergymen were sent overseas by the YMCA, only a small portion of 
these were assigned to definite religious duties, aside from the smaller 
group of special speakers sent in 1919. Denominationally the rosters of 
these were as follows: Baptist, 268; Christian, 100; Congregational, 191 ; 
Dutch Reformed, 1 ; Episcopal, 129 ; Evangelical, 3 ; Lutheran, 9 ; Metho- 
dist, 338; Moravian, 1 ; Presbyterian, 361 ; Reformed, 14; Swedenborgian, 
1 ; Union, 8 ; Unitarian, 23 ; United Brethren, 7 ; Universalist, 8. 



Non-Sectarian Spirit Permeated the Armies 

At the huts, Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Jewish chaplains 
conducted or assisted in services of an informal character. Saturday 
evening a Roman Catholic chaplain would use the quarters of a Pres- 
byterian minister as an improvised confessional, and Sunday morning 
celebrate early mass in the hut, which later was used for a Protestant 
service. On the two great Jewish holy days. New Year's Day and the 
Day of Atonement, when Jewish soldiers were given three days of leave 
to go to certain designated centers, the YMCA huts at these places 
were placed at the disposal of Jewish rabbis. At the Jewish New Year's 
Day service in the Y hut at Chaumont, General Headquarters of the 
A E F, a Roman Catholic chaplain, by invitation of the officiating rabbi, 
made the address, while Protestant ministers in the congregation joined 
in the service. 

Religious activities comprised : regular religious work furthered by 
specially designated leaders and chaplains cooperating with the Asso- 
ciation, and evangelistic addresses by special speakers ; Bible study work ; 
distribution and use of religious literature, Bibles and Testaments, hymn 
books and various other kinds of books; recruiting for Christian life 
vocations. 

For months the Music Department formed a part of the Religious 
Work Bureau. Later it was established as a separate agency, but a 
close relationship was maintained. Schools for training the large num- 
ber of music directors required were inaugurated in New York and in 
three territorial departments, the men so trained being sent both into 
the home camps and those overseas. 

On the basis that all helpful service to the soldier is of a religious 
nature, the YMCA felt that the program which did not provide 
opportunity for religious services as one form of special assistance 
was incomplete. It was the firm conviction that habits of worship 
are far more important factors in the lives of men in both civil and 



THE CRUSADE FOR GOD AND COUNTRY 181 

military life, than recreation and physical and mental development. 

Religious services were held once or twice on Sunday in nearly all 
of the Association huts and other Y centers ; midweek services also were 
conducted in many huts and daily services in many of the Leave Areas. 
Only 19 per cent of the regular secretaries were ordained ministers, but 
many hut secretaries who were Christian laymen cooperated whole- 
heartedly in the religious programs by conducting services and giving 
addresses of great inspirational value. 

Secretaries cooperated with army chaplains, turning their huts 
over to them. When chaplains were lacking, the secretaries them- 
selves would hold services. Well-known clergymen were sent over- 
seas for work in the camps. In addition to holding services these men 
made addresses upon different subjects of an ethical and moral nature. 

In most cases religious workers received full cooperation from 
army officers. So extensively was this plan adopted that one Division 
General cleared the calendar of all entertainment and other features 
for an entire week, officially ordering attendance at the special religious 
meetings. While the plan was opposed by a few at first, the officers who 
followed orders against their wishes expressed at the close the heartiest 
approval of this religious work program. That the plan was considered 
beneficial by the army men, who at first had disapproved, was shown by 
the fact that it was followed by other divisions. 

In all sections of the United States, France, and other countries 
where the Y M C A was in the service, the spirit of religion permeated 
its duties, and its quickening influence was widely felt. Indicative of 
this fact is the following extract from a letter written by a Y secretary 
in England. "The spirit of sullenness, skepticism, cynicism and stolid 
selfishness is gradually melting away under the Christ spirit of hopeful- 
ness and wholesome optimism and personal regard, the one for the 
other." 

Religious Work in Army of Occupation 

The Third Army organization was effected December 15, 1918, 
with Dr. Maitland Alexander, a former Moderator of the Presbyterian 
Church, as its head. In addition to the regular meetings on Sundays, a 
large number of informal services were held during the week. In Cob- 
lenz, each Sunday evening from 7.30 to 9 a special service conducted by 
Dr. Alexander in the great "Fest Halle," which seated 2500, drew a 
congregation that completely filled the auditorium. Two full-time Reli- 
gious Work Directors were with each of the eight divisions in the Third 
Army. Twenty itinerant speakers, and the same number of singers, 
were also provided by the Association to assist those regularly assigned. 
More than 760 services were held. For even the numerically small 
detachments religious services were regularly conducted. Dr. Hugh 



182 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

Black, of Edinburgh and New York, and Dr. Henry C. Risner nightly 
delivered addresses to the American Forces in Germany, in the month of 
November, 1919. More than a million pieces of religious literature and 
250,000 special Third Army edition song-books were distributed during 
the first six months of occupation. 

Organization of the Religious Work in America 

Organization of the distinctively religious feature of YMCA work 
in the home camps and overseas was due largely to the foresight of 
Dr. Mott. Sometime before the entry of the United States into the 
War he assembled a number of religious leaders. The part the Asso- 
ciation could take in respect to purely religious work in the event of war 
was discussed. This first meeting was followed by a larger one on 
April 6, 1917. At this conference a tentative program was adopted 
and committees appointed to fulfil its chief provisions. 

The War Work Council on April 28, 1917, arranged for the forma- 
tion of the Religious Work Bureau. Full charge of the leligious work 
of the Council was given to the Bureau only in the United States. But 
this Bureau, while having no authority overseas, cooperated with religious 
workers of all kinds, leaders, speakers, secretaries, etc. The prepara- 
tion of religious literature and its distribution was also one of its allotted 
tasks. 

Another duty performed by the YMCA was that of recruiting 
men for making addresses on religious- topics to the soldiers Overseas. 
President C. A. Barbour, who headed the personnel section of the Re- 
ligious Work Bureau, labored long and potently in the matter of re- 
cruiting these special workers, nearly all of those so secured being 
clergymen and evangelists. Many were representatives of the most 
prominent churches in the United States. 

Organization of Religious Work in France 

In France the religious work, which was planned to include preach- 
ing, Bible Study promotion and circulation of Christian literature, was 
at first conducted under the leadership of Dr. Robert Freeman of Pasa- 
dena, Cal., who was succeeded by Carlton Harrison. Bishop Luther 
B. Wilson, in June, 1918, acted as honorary head, with Carlton Harrison 
as executive secretary. Bishop Wilson retained the position until the 
early Autumn, when President Henry C. King of Oberlin College, took 
charge. President King was made a member of the Executive Com- 
mittee in France. He made plans for a complete organization of the 
Y M C*A religious work in France when the signing of the Armistice 
necessitated their modification to a large extent. Under his direction, 
however, an organization was developed which proved entirely practical. 



THE CRUSADE FOR GOD AND COUNTRY 183 

In addition to the personnel in the field it used to the greatest advantage 
the large body of special speakers of all denominations detailed from 
the United States. 



Religious Work of the Y M C A during the Post-Armistice Period 

The religious work of the Association during the post-armistice 
period was carried out as far as possible according to the program which 
President Henry C. King had formulated at the time he took charge 
of the Religious Work Department in 1918, though certain modifications 
were necessitated by changing military conditions. In the Spring Presi- 
dent King was called by the Government to an important mission in the 
Near East, and he was succeeded as Religious Work Director by Dr. 
Cleland B. McAfee, of Chicago. This program contemplated an extensive 
and varied work, not only along the usual lines of furnishing speakers, 
distributing literature and promoting Bible study, but also in such ways 
as the development of methods of work adapted to the needs of particular 
groups, such as the colored men and the American railway men in 
Europe; the improvement of sacred music in connection with religious 
services; the giving of counsel in the matter of life callings; and the 
dissemination of information regarding the deeper meanings of the war 
and the constructive issues involved in it. 

In spite of great difficulties arising out of the shortage of transporta- 
tion, the reorganization on the basis recommended by President King 
resulted in a Tnarked increase in the efficiency and influence of the Reli- 
gious Work Department. On August 1, 1918, its personnel consisted of 
73 workers, of whom 67 were in the field. During the year following 
that date, there were 721 engaged in its activities, 624 men and 97 
women. In the main, these workers did not devote themselves exclusively 
to duties of a distinctively religious nature, but, in order to link up the 
religious program with the hut work and to coordinate it with every 
activity which promoted and emphasized the Association's objective, they 
served in almost every capacity, in the huts, at the leave areas, as 
guides in museums or on sight-seeing trips, as educational or recreational 
workers, wherever they could establish helpful touch with the men them- 
selves. 

Some features of this work proved to be specially effective. In 
connection with the distribution of religious literature, for example, 
in October, 1918, a weekly average of about 62,000 items were being 
distributed, while in April and May, 1919, the weekly average was 
more than 528,000 items. From October 1, 1918, to June 1, 1919, there 
were sent out by the Department 11,500,128 items, and previous to 
October 1, 1918, so far as records are available, 2,668,960 items, making 
a total of 14,169,088. These included Bibles, Testaments and other 



184 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

portions of the Scriptures, Bible study courses, religious books, 
pamphlets, tracts, song- books, posters, post cards, etc. In addition 
to the popular song books included in these figures, the Director of 
Sacred Music also sent out from time to time large numbers of copies 
of special music designed for use at religious services and on partic- 
ular occasions. The Easter services were especially well provided 
for in this way. This music was rendered by singers and other musi- 
cians recruited from the Entertainment Department and by soldier 
choirs trained for the purpose. 

"Comrades in Service" 

An organization promoted by the Religious Work Department 
should be mentioned as having rendered useful service. This organi- 
zation, known as "Comrades in Service," was participated in by the 
Knights of Columbus, the Jewish Welfare Board, and the Salvation 
Army, as well as by the YMCA, and all of these societies had repre- 
sentatives on its Central Council. Its object was the formation of 
similar organizations in the various military units which should stim- 
ulate interest in religion, education, hygiene, recreation, wholesome 
entertainment, clean living, and general morale, but whose activities 
should be largely self-directed and along non-partisan and non-sec- 
tarian lines. More than 200 such clubs were formed, and a total 
membership of about 200,000 was enrolled, including all ranks from 
generals to privates. Their influence led thousands of men into volun- 
tary classes of various sorts, created a large number of citizenship 
forums, and resulted in the circulation of a bi-weekly paper which 
carried its message to a large percentage of the A E F. Their work 
was highly commended by General Pershing, who awarded to "Com- 
rades in Service" the fund from the "Chicago Tribune" which he had 
been asked to place for the best interests of the men of the A E F. 

The "Honey Bee Clubs" of the Colored Troops 

Another organization which proved its usefulness was known as 
the Honey Bee Clubs and was designed to help the colored soldiers 
in the American Army. These clubs were originated by an Asso- 
ciation worker among the colored troops at Brest engaged in unload- 
ing transports and other such labor. In his first religious meeting 
he used a humble little parable of the South, telling the difference 
between the honey bee and the turkey buzzard. It was in this way 
that the idea was conceived, and as a result of the meeting the first 
Honey Bee Club was organized, a negro Bible class numbering some 
400 men. It met the needs of the colored men so well that the idea 
was passed on to other camps where they were located. A special 



PROVISIONS AND MEN TO THE FRONT 185 

badge was made and distributed for use by members of the Clubs. 
Up to July 1, 1919, the Department had issued 21,550 badges and had 
distributed 14,200 copies of Honey Bee Lessons, a simple course of 
Bible study prepared especially for the purpose. Letters have been 
received from practically every officer commanding colored troops, 
commending the work of the Honey Bee Clubs and its splendid 
results in building up the morale of the men. In one important unit 
the Commanding Officer promulgated a system of rewards and pun- 
ishments in which the Honey Bee badges had a part. 

The Observance of Special National Days 

A notable feature of the religious work was the attention given 
to the observance of special days. Such recognition was given during 
the closing months to four days in particular — Easter, Mother's Day, 
Memorial Day, and the Fourth of July — on which excellent use was 
made of the staff of speakers specially recruited by Dr. Barbour in 
America. The largest attendance at religious services was on Easter 
Sunday. In connection with Memorial Day, services were arranged 
at the American cemeteries and at practically all of the points where 
American soldiers were stationed. In this the Association cooperated 
with the other welfare agencies and with the Graves Registration 
Service of the Army, as well as with American civilians in France. 

Reduction of Personnel 

. By the beginning of August, 1919, the personnel of the Depart- 
ment had been reduced to 45 workers, and at the end of the month 
its activity as a headquarters department was ended, though at all 
points where the work of the Association was continued locally this 
important part of its service has been maintained. 

XI— TRANSPORTATION AND SUPPLIES— GETTING 
PROVISIONS AND MEN TO THE FRONT 

The Y Forced to Become a Great Industrial Organization 

The transportation of supplies and men to all parts of the world 
under the severest military restrictions was fraught with almost insur- 
mountable difficulties. Transportation became a military monopoly ; 
navies controlled the high seas ; ships and railroads were strained 
to the utmost to meet the demands of the armies ; industries were 
working day and night to provide munitions, provisions, and neces- 
sites for the herculean task of conducting a World War. Artnies 
in all warfare must be the first consideration — all else is secondary. 



186 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

The YMCA, recognizing at all times this military necessity, under- 
took to meet its own difficulties through its own initiative and its 
own resources. 

A Few Impressive Facts and Figures 

The Y shipped from the United States to France alone $25,424,537 
worth of supplies, aggregating 103,816,367 pounds in weight, an 
amount equal to 21 full ship loads. 

The Y shipped supplies from America to Siberia, $1,143,314; to 
Egypt, Greece, Turkey, Poland, Roumania, Czecho-Slovakia, Ger- 
many, Italy, England, Switzerland, U. S. Naval Bases throughout 
the world. Insular Possessions, White Sea, — until the grand total for 
all parts of the world, including France, reached $28,637,322. 

These operations, great as they seem, were but a part of the 
service. The Y found it necessary to take over and operate 44 fac- 
tories in France alone to supply their needs in addition to the ship- 
ments from America — thus becoming the largest American manu- 
facturing organization in Europe, outside of the Army. 

Great quantities of supplies were also secured by the Y in Eng- 
land, France, Italy and Spain. 

The transportation of Y supplies and men required over 2220 motor 
trucks and cars in France alone in addition to the railroad and steam- 
ship lines — thus requiring the Y to operate one of the largest motor 
transport and garage industries in Europe, outside of the Armies. 

During the busiest period, approximately 1000 freight cars were 
handled per month for the A E F-Y MCA. 

Problems Involved in This Complicated Enterprise 

The problem involved in handling, storing and transporting this 
great volume of supplies from ships to the front was one of the 
largest encountered overseas. Available tonnage was a serious factor. 
The amount that could be secured was always far less than required 
in filling the demands. Commercial tonnage was utilized as far as it 
was available. Chief Secretary Carter made it clear from the very 
beginning that the Post Exchanges could not operate successfully 
unless sufficient ocean tonnage was placed at the disposal of the 
Association. He asked that the same amount of transport be avail- 
able for the Canteen Department of the Y M C A as would have been 
used by the Army if the Army operated its own Post Exchanges— 
and in addition a certain amount for other Association activities. 

On December 1, 1917, the YMCA indicated that the minimum 
tonnage required would be 208.83 tons per month for each 25,000 men, 
plus eight tons of exceptional tonnage for each division for equip- 



GETTING PROVISIONS AND MEN TO THE FRONT 187 

merit. In January, 1918, General Headquarters informed the Y that 
only 100 tons per month per 25,000 men could be allotted. From the 
outset the Association was faced with a shortage exceeding 50 per cent 
of the required needs. 

Difficulties in Discharging and Storing Cargoes at Base Ports 

Under stress of war the harbor facilities of France were taxed to 
the utmost. Commercial steamers landed for the most part at Bor- 
deaux and Marseilles and discharged their cargoes on the docks. In 
these cases the steamship companies had adequate storage facilities 
and goods could be landed and checked over against the ship's mani- 
fest. With the Army transports the conditions were different. Dock- 
ing and storing facilities were entirely insufficient. The largest ves- 
sels could not be docked and had to be unloaded on lighters. Even 
the smaller vessels due to lack of harbor space had often to lie out 
in the bay and transferred their cargoes to lighters. 

This had to be done with the greatest dispatch for a transport is 
of no value from a military standpoint if it is kept lying at wharf. 
Generally within 24 hours after a ship cast anchor its cargo had 
been discharged and it was again under way. Lighters swarmed 
about it like bees ; goods were handed from the hatches, regardless 
of mark or contents, and transferred from barge to dock with only 
the roughest sort of classification attempted. Often one barge would 
contain Quartermaster and Ordnance supplies, Y M C A and Red 
Cross goods. 

Marks were often obliterated or goods buried in such a way that 
it was impossible to determine the owner. Everything was in the 
hands of the Army, unloading the vessels, checking, storing and ship- 
ping from the port. Everything was subordinated to the military 
necessity of speed. Goods could not be kept lying on the docks with- 
out seriously hampering the unloading of the next vessel. The Army 
provided cars and shipped each cargo to one of the Bases. It some- 
times happened that Y goods, mixed with Army, Red Cross and other 
welfare organization supplies, were loaded on a car together without 
being detected. Weeks later they would turn up at Gievres. 

Organization of the Traffic Department 

To handle this difficult situation the Traffic Department was or- 
ganized. At first, as 90% of the goods handled were Post Exchange 
articles, this department was directly under the Post Exchange. In 
May, 1918, however, the operations grew to such importance that 
it was set up as a separate department of the General Supply Division 
under C. D. Silvernail. 



188 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

Traffic Department men were stationed at all the Base Ports. 
They were informed as soon as possible of shipments which were on 
the waters and instructed to keep on the lookout for them. When 
a transport arrived, these men were on the job day and night locating 
and checking YMCA goods. In spite of their indefatigable labors 
they were unable to locate at the docks the bulk of the Y goods. 

Often at one port there would be a commercial steamer unloading 
at its wharf, an army transport unloading at another, while out in 
the har'bor another would be discharging its cargo on lighters. Enough 
men were not available to have one at each hatch ; even if this re- 
quirement had been met the conditions were such as to make it im- 
possible to locate all the goods. 

It is estimated that only about 50% of the 25,000 tons of goods 
unloaded was located at the point of entry, the remainder being found 
after forwarding to the intermediate warehouses. This was due not 
at all to lack of energy or ability of the Traffic Department personnel. 
There are many records of men working 36 hours without rest in 
order to check a ship's cargo. It resulted from the conditions with 
which they were confronted. A maximum of 65 men were employed 
for this work, not more than 60 being actually on duty at any one 
time. This little force was responsible for the delivery of monthly 
shipments which grew from 168 tons in January, 1918, to 7800 tons 
in January, 1919, and which included a variety of over 159 articles 
from fountain pens to motor trucks. 

"Race to Berlin" 

By means of a competition known as "The Race to Berlin," freight- 
handling was expedited and a morale-building machine built up among 
the men of the Services of Supply. This branch of the service was 
full of men who had enlisted to fight and were chafing because they 
had been assigned to duty in the back areas and port cities. Major 
General Harbord realized that special measures were required to 
raise their spirits and requested the YMCA to devise some plan to 
speed up the handling of freight in the port cities and to encourage 
the hundreds of thousands of men engaged in this branch of military 
service. The plan devised by Charles M. Steele of the Y Entertain- 
ment Department took the form of an efficiency contest to determine 
the championship port handling the largest tonnage in the effort to 
get the Army to Berlin. 

The contest was a decided success in causing a spurt in handling 
freight, the result being an average increase of 11 per cent in all ports 
for the six weeks from November 2 to December 17, 1918, during 
which the contest lasted. Each of the nine ports competed against 



GETTING PROVISIONS AND MEN TO THE FRONT 189 

its previous eight weeks' average tonnage, and on a point basis care- 
fully computed the leadership changed weekly. The final victory 
fell to Brest with Rochefort and Rouen close up in almost a blanket 
finish. According to the contest, the "Race to Berlin" was won in 
six weeks and two days, whereas the schedule allowed eight weeks 
for the contest. 



Obstacles in Transport of Materials from Port to Warehouse 

The question of handling supplies was not alone that of getting 
them off ships and on docks. It was of prime importance that they be 
transferred with the least possible delay to the individual hut — be 
it at port, the interior, or on the fighting front. 

Between June 1, 1918 and March 1, 1919 the Traffic Department 
handled 9554 cars of material ranging in weight from 10 to 30 tons 
each. 

It is difficult for an American unfamiliar with Europe in war-time 
to visualize the transportation situation. Our highly perfected rolling 
equipment, fully adapted for large transcontinental hauls, is as un- 
familiar in Europe as a ship-of-the-line on the prairies of the Middle 
West. "Over there" the railroad equipment is adapted for short 
hauls of small quantities. The average car holds only about ten 
tons. This cuts down the amount of goods necessary to make up the 
average American carload, and increases the number of cars necessary 
to handle a long shipment. 

The turnover in European stock is relatively low. Cars or engines 
are never scrapped as long as they will run. In every French train 
several generations of types and classes of rolling stock will be rep- 
resented. However well this system is adopted to normal peace-time 
conditions on the Continent it is a great handicap to military oper- 
ations. The military problem is to transfer large shipments of ma- 
terial from base to the fighting line in the shortest possible time. 

The American train, with its 50 ton cars and mammoth engines 
capable of handling a large load at a rapid rate, is ideal for this pur- 
pose. The French system with its small cars and engines, requiring 
as it does three trains to one American, with consequent track con- 
gestions and loss of time on sidings, constituted a very serious handi- 
cap. In addition to this, war conditions had prevented proper up-keep 
of material resulting in serious delays as cars became disabled in tran- 
sit and had to be sent out for repairs. The tremendously increased ship- 
ments over normal demands, caused by the operation of three armies, 
resulted in a serious actual shortage of equipment.. 



190 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMcA 

French Railways Under Rigid Military Control 

The entire railroad system of France was placed under the direc- 
tion of the French Department of War. Shipments of all goods con- 
sidered as military necessities were authorized only on special War 
Department orders known as transport orders (ordres de transport.) 
Goods included in this category were military supplies and foodstuffs. 
All other commodities were shipped on priority certificates (bons de 
priorite) ; that is after all military supplies had been shipped, com- 
mercial goods would be handled according to their priority classifi- 
cation. This, then, was the problem the Y had to face in transporting 
its goods from port to field. 

The situation was similar in many respects to the ocean trans- 
port problem. A military monopoly existed. In order to function 
at all it was necessary that Y shipments be placed in a class coordi- 
nate with other departments of the A E F. Recognizing the military 
necessity of Y goods the Commander-in-Chief gave the Association 
the right to use transport orders. 



Unavoidable Delays in Securing Transport Orders 

This privilege was not fully recognized by the different railroad 
companies or the French War Department till the end of August, 
1918. At that time, through the insistence of the YMCA Legal 
Department the Traffic Department of the YMCA was given the 
privilege of issuing transport orders. Before this point was definitely 
settled the Y experienced many serious delays because of refusal 
of the authorities on certain lines to honor these orders. 

The report of the Traffic Department shows very reasonable 
cooperation from the Army at all bases. Army transportation offi- 
cers were liberal in the interpretation of the orders concerning the 
allotment of cars. During periods of military emergency absolute 
embargoes were placed on Y shipments, priority being given to bare 
subsistence and ammunition. Special embargoes affecting certain lines 
were in effect practically all the time. 

For the actual assignment of cars, the Traffic Department had 
access to two sources: First, the French authorities; second, the 
American Army. An attempt always was made to get cars directly 
from the French ; upon failure an appeal was made to the Army for 
necessary transportation. It was often necessary to go directly to 
Headquarters because of the fact that orders covering the movement 
of supplies were not sufficiently specific. 

These appeals were generally favorably acted upon whenever it 
was possible. 



GETTING PROVISIONS AND MEN TO THE FRONT 191 

Loss of Cars and Delays in Shipment 

Endless troubles were caused by loss and delays of cars in transit. 
Frequently cars would become disabled en route and have to be side- 
tracked for repairs; this made it necessary to transfer the cargo to 
other cars. It was a question of weeks sometimes to trace these cars ; 
often they were never found, due to the fact that proper records would 
not be made when the transfer was made — and the cargo would be 
turned over to the Army. It finally became necessary to send a convoy 
with each important shipment to ensure its prompt arrival at its 
destination. On the average it took about 30 days from the time sup- 
plies were loaded until they were received at the warehouse. 



Great Warehouses Operated by the Y in France 

The principal warehouses operated in France included : 7 base port 
warehouses, 5 central ; 3 forward and 32 divisional. 

As stated above, supplies had to be cleared from the base ports as 
rapidly as transportation could be secured. This required the main- 
tenance of a warehouse system in the interior where goods could be 
stored, checked and redistributed to the field. A warehouse was 
estabhshed for this purpose in Paris in November 1917, and in April 
1918, a second base warehouse at the Intermediate General Supply 
Depot at Gievres was established. 



Organization of the Warehouse Department 

The Warehouse Department was created as a coordinate depart- 
ment of the General Supply Division, to meet the need of centraHzed 
control over all goods received from abroad or manufactured in France. 
By thus systematizing the records, the Warehouse Department was 
able to know the exact volume of supplies on hand and by cooperation 
with the Traffic Department the volume of supplies of different cate- 
gories en route to France or in transport on the railroad. Its relations 
with the Traffic Department were very intimate. By working together 
they were able to make the best of the available facilities. 

The duties of the Warehouse Department were to assemble all 
Y M C A shipments, check and classify them and consign them to the 
field on order from the Shipping and Order Department, at Paris. 



Huge Warehouses at Paris and Gievres 

At Paris, two buildings on the Seine and a big warehouse north 
of the Seine were utilized. The warehouse received goods by rail 



192 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

from the base ports and factories, by trucks from local factories and 
by canal from the Channel ports. 

A total of 63,275 tons of supplies valued at $13,069,195, were shipped 
into the various fields from the Paris warehouse from December 1, 
1917 to April 20, 1919. 

At Gievres the Army constructed three large warehouses similar 
to those used for military purposes. These warehouses received ship- 
ments by rail from base ports and interior factories. 

A total of 26,810 tons of supplies valued at $14,559,842 were shipped 
from the warehouses at Gievres from June 1, 1918, to April 30, 1919, 
During the seven months of greatest activity — ^July 1, 1918, to Janu- 
ary 31, 1919 — 2362 cars were handled at the station. 

The belt-line into Paris would not accommodate the large USA 
cars. Consequently all such had to be consigned to Gievres. Not 
having control over the loading of cars at the base ports it often hap- 
pened that certain goods intended for Paris had to be placed in U S A 
cars and go to Gievres, thus causing not only considerable delay but 
actual loss of efficiency because it was necessary to furnish transporta- 
tion back to Paris before the shipment could be utilized. 

Why Military Embargoes Retarded the Operations 

The Army for a long time could not allow warehouses to be estab- 
lished in the zone of operations. During offensives an embargo was 
always placed on shipments other than the very necessary military 
supplies. Hence, the Y found itself without supplies at the front the 
very time it needed them most. 

After much negotiation, permission was given to establish bases at 
Chaumont, Nancy, and Ippecourt, within trucking distance of the 
front. Sub-warehousjes were later established at Souilly to provide 
supplies for the Argonne. For obvious military reasons the Army 
could not give definite information as to positions on the front where 
troops were about to be concentrated. It was only occasionally 
through hints di-opped, and tacit admission upon direct questioning, 
that reasonable information could be secured so that provision could 
be made to meet these emergencies. The forward warehouses were 
established to meet these shifting conditions. 

The Y Operated 44 Factories Abroad 

The problem of transportation and storage was not alone that of 
shipping goods from port to field, but was further complicated by the 
necessity of assembling raw materials necessary in the extensive manu- 
facture of Post Exchange supplies in which the YMCA was engaged. 

The scarcity of ship tonnage, preventing the shipment of confec- 



GETTING PROVISIONS AND MEN TO THE FRONT 193 

tions from America and the absolute lack of these in Europe, 
forced the Y into an extensive manufacturing program. The scheme 
was set on foot early and by April 1, 1918, the Y accumulated enough 
raw material to begin operating on a large scale. From that date 
until December 31, 1918, when the Quartermaster Corps of the Ameri- 
can Army took over the plants the Association put successively into 
operation 44 factories. These factories during their maximum activity 
produced monthly 22,356,000 articles as follows: chocolate, 11,972,000 
tablets; chocolate cream bars, 3,854,000; chocolate nut rolls, 1,590,000; 
caramels 3,120,000 cartons, and jam 2,000,000 tins. 23,797,267 pounds 
of flour valued at $1,246,300 and 23,787,700 pounds of sugar valued at 
$1,785,893 were imported for manufacture. 

The factories operating were the largest in France. The Olibet 
Biscuit Company in Paris and the Lefevre-Utile factory at Nantes 
are notable examples. 

Owing to the limited quantities of flour and sugar available in 
France, these factories had been forced to close for some months. 
Permission was secured from the French Government, and after con- 
siderable difficulty the idle plants were put in operation. 

It was necessary to import or assemble from distant parts of 
France practically everything which went into the makeup of the 
products. In this connection must be mentioned the voluntary and 
expert service rendered by Albert Philip Frapwell, who devoted him- 
self to the work of the Post Exchange Purchasing Department. 

How Critical Difficulties Were Overcome in Europe 

For the manufacture of biscuits, the Y had to transport such in- 
gredients as flour, sugar, bicarbonate of soda, almonds, peanuts, figs, 
etc., as well as material for cases. For the manufacture of jam, fruit 
pulp was brought from Spain and Southern France. Even the tins in 
which the jam was placed had to be manufactured. For this purpose 
tin was brought from Bordeaux. For the manufacture of chocolate, 
cocoa beans were needed in great quantities. Through its purchasing 
agents the Y cornered the cocoa bean supply in France. Thousands of 
bags were brought from Bordeaux, Havre and St. Nazaire. 

Stationery was also manufactured. For this purpose wood pulp 
was purchased and transported to the factory ; lamp black for printing- 
inks, gum arabic for mucilage and talc to surface the paper were 
bought in large quantities. 

A paper factory was also secured at Tolosa, Spain, where 100,000,- 
000 sheets of writing paper bearing the Red Triangle were made. 
This employed practically the whole town, men, women and children, 
for a considerable period of time. 

When the American Army moved to the front line it found its 



194 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

supply of hard bread was inadequate. It therefore took over the 
YMCA factory at Nantes. After arrangements were made in De- 
cember 1918, for the Army to supply the Post Exchange with goods, 
these factories were operated by the Quartermaster Corps. 

The assumption of the Post Exchange by the Army left the Y 
with an increased cold and hot drink program. For the manufacture 
of these articles, bottles, straws, bottle wrappers for packing, fruit 
syrups for flavoring, citric acid and lime juice were purchased in large 
quantities. 

Serious Problem of Motor Transport 

The end and aim of the warehousing and forwarding of supplies 
was to send them with the least possible delay to the canteens where 
they could be distributed to the soldier. The problem of getting 
supplies into the warehouses was chiefly one of overcoming railroad 
transport conditions. The problem of the distribution of these supplies 
to the various units was that of motor transport. 

It is needless to mention the difficulties the Association experienced 
in getting cars. At no time did its motor equipment approach the re- 
quired needs. Cars and trucks were purchased by the Y in France, 
England, Switzerland, Italy and the United States. An attempt to 
standardize on a few types of automobiles was made, but not enough 
cars of any make could be secured. Eagerly grasping whatever cars 
could be secured in its great need, the Y found itself operating twenty 
makes of touring cars, 22 makes of trucks and five of motorcycles. 
This made the problem of furnishing supplies and spare parts a very 
serious one. The total motor equipment purchased was about 2200 
vehicles of all descriptions, costing $1,647,000. 

The number actually in operation at any time varied from twenty 
in September 1917, to 1665 in May 1919. Twenty-five percent of 
this equipment was purchased in France, eight percent in England, 
and five percent each in Switzerland and Italy. The remaining fifty- 
seven percent was imported from the United States. 

The Y Forced to Operate a Big Garage Business 

For the care and maintenance of this equipment the Association 
operated two large garages in Paris and one at each of the eight 
regional headquarters. Garages were also maintained at the divisional 
headquarters. 

There were maintained in France about 100 garages. Mobile re- 
pair shops were operated in the advance sector. Drivers and me- 
chanics employed aggregated about 600 men at the period of maximum 



CETTiNG PROVlSIOf^S AND MEN TO THE FRONT 195 

activity. Only about ten percent of these men were professional 
chauffeurs or mechanics. 

Seventy percent of the cars in operation were assigned to the ad- 
vanced area, thirty percent to the intermediate section and the bases. 

The most important function of the Transport Department was to 
move suppHes from the base and forward warehouses to the canteens 
and the huts and on the fighting line. The Y M C A has been criticised 
for its failure to furnish ample supplies to the men at the front, but 
when the conditions under which it worked are thoroughly understood 
the marvel will be how it succeeded in accomplishing what it did. 

All Roads to the Front Jammed with Traffic 

The white roads of France are justly famous for their excellence, 
but were they made of adamant they could not have withstood the on- 
slaught of enemy shells and the constant grind of the never ending 
stream of heavily laden trucks and other military transports, to which 
they were subjected. In spite of the constant labor of army engineers 
the roads leading to the front were always full of holes, a fact which 
though seemingly insignificant in itself was a serious handicap to 
motor operations. 

During offensives, all roads leading to the battle front were jammed 
with traffic. Great trucks laden with ammunition, food, and men, long 
lines of horse and motor drawn cannon, little carts bearing machine 
guns and ammimition, ambulances, every conceivable form of military 
transport crowded every possible road. There was no question of 
making speed any more than on a crowded city street. Strict mili- 
tary regulations ruled the traffic. 

Military police were at every crossroad to prevent confusion and 
jams. It was simply a question of winning running space on the road 
and following the general stream to the journey's end. To add to the 

difficulty much of the traffic had to be carried on at night without 

light, not even the glow of a cigaret being permitted. This made it 
impossible to avoid shell holes and other obstructions, and put an extra 
strain on both cars and drivers. Such were the conditions under 
which the Red Triangle with its limited equipment was expected to 
supply sweets and smokes to over a million men in the fightino- lines 

How the Y Got Supplies to Chateau-Thierry 

The operations around Chateau-Thierry will serve to illustrate how 
this work of distribution of supplies was carried on. During those 
operations supplies were trucked directly from the Paris warehouse 
to a base some fifteen kilometers behind the lines. From this for- 
ward base light Ford trucks carried the goods forward as far as motot 



196 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

transport was permitted. At given points dumps were established 
from which the regimental secretaries drew their supplies and trans- 
ported them sometimes on horseback sometimes on bicycles and often 
on their own backs to the very front. Similiar conditions prevailed in 
every sector during active operations. 

In the Argonne, most of the roads were open to traffic one way 
only. It took sometimes twenty-four hours to make a circuit of fif- 
teen or twenty kilometers. At times, even the Army Quartermaster 
could not get to the front the necessary subsistence. Much less could 
the Y with its limited equipment — although its warehouses were 
often overflowing — get forward its goods. 

There was no question of lack of will — for men and trucks wfent 
until they could go no more. Insuperable physical limitations made 
deliveries impossible. 

Thirty percent of the motor transport was used in the static areas 
back of the fighting line and in the base section of the Services of 
Supply. Heavy trucks were used to transport materials from base to 
field when railroad transport was not available. Camionettes were 
used to supply outlying points and to transport entertainers from 
railroad to hut. Each regional and each divisional headquarters were 
supplied with one or more passenger cars and wherever possible a 
truck. At no time was the Y able to secure more than fifty percent of 
the transport which its activities required. 



XII— RELATIONSHIPS— COOPERATING WITH THE 
RELIEF AND WELFARE ORGANIZATIONS 

It has been the privilege of this handbook to pay tribute in the 
"Foreword" (see page vi) to the generous and beneficent work ac- 
complished by all the relief and social welfare organizations in the 
World War. Their valuable services to the soldiers cannot be cal- 
culated even by the statistical tables of the Red Cross, the Knights 
of Columbus, the Salvation Army, the Jewish Welfare Board, the 
Young Women's Christian Association, and all other organizations 
in the service of humanity. 

The Red Cross, as the first of the relief organizations, has issued 
its own historical statement of accomplishments — the most notable 
record of achievement in all the annals of relief work. It records 
that its expenditures throughout the world reached $273,000,000, 
and that its home workers reached a grand total of 8,100,000. It sent 
23,822 nurses into the Army, and Navy, and Red Cross hospitals, 
expending $57,000,000 in France, $48,000,000 in the United States, 



WITH THE RELIEF ORGANIZATIONS 197 

$64,000,000 elsewhere — the remainder was in supplies and articles 
distributed. 

In the social welfare group, the Knights of Columbus issued 
recently its own history, recording how its workers registered abroad 
from America, performed a most noteworthy service. Besides 1134 
secretaries engaged in home service, the Knights of Columbus report 
a total of 1075 workers sent overseas. This number included 36 chap- 
lains and 563 secretaries in France ; a commissioner and 41 secretaries 
in the British Isles ; and 14 secretaries in Italy and Dalmatia. 

The Jewish Welfare Board, with its 189 workers, extended a 
highly efficient service of unselfish devotion to a great cause, the results 
of which it will issue in its own statement. 

The Salvation Army, with its 264 workers from America, did an 
heroic service to which every doughboy pays tribute. 

The Y W C A, with its 289 workers, has received and deserves very 
high credit for its remarkable work. 

These figures are from the most authoritative available sources, 
and if provisional, we ask the organizations kindly to furnish the 
correct figures for the final record. 

Points of Contact Between All Organizations 

This record permits mention only of the points of contact and 
cooperation with these co-workers and fellow-countrymen in the 
AEF. 

The Red Cross and the Y M C A were veterans and "blood rela- 
tions" of the Spanish War ; they were co-workers in the Mexican 
Border fray — the former in its relief work and the latter in its social 
services. The Red Cross was concerned primarily with the sick and 
wounded, while the Y M C A was occupied primarily in the comfort 
and welfare of the fit. 

The World War made new demands on these friendly organiza- 
tions. They found themselves subjected to new and varied emer- 
gencies which the old systems and divisions of labor hardly covered. 
The need for Red Cross and Y M C A would always be greater than 
their combined efforts could supply, and duplication must be avoided. 
Accordingly, as early as August 28, 1917, the Army undertook to 
divide the work, and General Orders No. 26 (1917) were issued: 

General Orders Defining Duties of Red Cross and Y M C A 

"The Red Cross will provide for the relief work and the Y M C A 
will provide for the amusement and recreation of the troops by means 
of its usual program of social, educational, physical, and religious 
activities. The foregoing partition is not intended to give a monopoly 



198 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

to either organization but is made to afford a guiding rule to all con- 
cerned. At small points needs for both agencies will exist but not 
on a sufficient scale to justify a double personnel. Where the Com- 
manding Officer of such a point decides that this is the case, the de- 
tails regarding equipment and personnel will be settled by confer- 
ence between the senior representative of the Red Cross and the 
YMCA. Whenever one of the agencies cannot furnish the necessary 
facilities for performing its functions, the other is authorized to render 
such assistance as it may be able to give." 

The War, as far as the Americans were concerned, developed into 
training periods in certain areas, followed by a move to the front, 
this in turn followed by a period in rest camps and hospitals. The 
two organizations, under these circumstances, found definite ex- 
pression for their work, but began to run upon situations quite un- 
provided for in Army orders. The Red Cross constantly extended its 
assistance to the Y, which reciprocated at every opportunity. At 
times, when hospitals were filling rapidly, the sick required all the 
personnel available from both organizations. Y men and women 
gladly helped in base and field hospitals and in dressing stations. 
There were notable cases of this in the work with the 1st, 2d, and 
82d Divisions. A coincident epidemic of influenza closed the Y huts 
and left their personnel free to help with the sick in these divisions. 

The recreation field delegated to the YMCA in Army Orders 
occasionally overlapped into the Red Cross Area in the matter of 
recreation for convalescents, and for nurses, doctors, ambulance units, 
and other hospital personnel. Consequently, on October 20, 1917, 
General Orders No. 48 was issued. In this the earlier order was 
amplified to include a joint arrangement made by representatives of 
the two societies. Huts or other appropriate quarters were to be 
furnished and equipped by the Red Cross, each to be designated: 
"Hospital Recreation Hut donated by the American Red Cross." 
At each of these places a Red Cross staff should conduct all the 
regular activities of that organization in connection with the hos- 
pital. The head of this hut should be responsible for the recreation 
work done in the wards, while the YMCA should also provide a 
representative and a staff to conduct those activities prescribed in 
General Orders 26. 

Efforts to Avoid Overlapping of Service 

There was, necessarily, some preliminary overlapping. If the Y 
provided a good entertainment in the hut, the hospital staff was 
eager to have the performance repeated in the wards, and this was 
often done. There was much visiting in hospitals done by Y per- 
sonnel, and in many cases supplies were distributed. An occasional 



WITH THE RELIEF ORGANIZATIONS 199 

Y man made a unique place for himself in the wards. For the first 
hospital recreation huts, the Y made the plans and did the construc- 
tion work, and the Red Cross reimbursed the Y for the cost. Six 
were put up in this way; then, by agreement, the Red Cross accepted 
the hut plans drawn by Y construction men, but arranged for further 
erection themselves. 

In the Spring of 1918 the Red Cross asked that the Y withdraw 
gradually from the hospitals as the Red Cross was able to fill all 
capacities except that of supplying entertainment. This was done 
gradually during the Summer of 1918, so that by November 1, except 
in a few specifically granted or exceptional cases, the Y had with- 
drawn all of its personnel from the hospital huts, from distribution 
and home service in the wards, and from other tasks which they had 
undertaken when on hand where needs of all sorts were urgent. This 
withdrawal gave rise to misunderstanding on the part of the patients 
who did not realize that the Y was merely following orders, and 
that the personnel so withdrawn was at once set to work in other 
fields. As late as March, 1919, there were a few of these huts still 
in Y hands at such crowded points as the Replacement Camp at 
St. Aignan where the presence of some 60,000 casuals, many of them 
fresh from the base hospitals, continually overworked the local hos- 
pital forces. The Red Cross was, by mutual agreement, left free to ask 
the Y to furnish its entire program of activities at hospital points. 

The Post Exchanges, or Army Canteens, were operated solely by 
the Y under General Orders No. 33 (1917) until turned back to the 
Army after the Armistice ; other organizations then began voluntarily 
to conduct exchanges. Before this, however, they were confined to 
limited restaurants, called canteens, in restricted districts. With 
reference to this canteen service there had been but little overlapping. 
The arrangement settled in joint Y M C A and Red Cross confer- 
ence in May, 1918, required the Red Cross to furnish regular canteen 
service on all railway lines of communication, as well as emergency 
canteen service for troops in transit, exclusive of front line canteen 
service. The Red Cross was also to furnish such canteen service as 
might be necessary for the ambulance men. All other canteen service 
for American soldiers was to be furnished by the Y. 

Cooperation between Y W C A and Y M C A 

Early in the War the Y M C A had sought the aid of the Young 
Women's Christian Association (Y W C A) in its work with the 
hospital personnel. In July, 1917, E. C. Carter had intimated to the 
A E F Headquarters that "wherever clubs or hotels for nurses or other 
women war workers were required the assistance of experts provided 
by the Y W C A would be secured in making the necessary provisions." 



^00 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

Previous to this he had urged on the officials of the Y W C A in 
America the necessity of sending their representatives to study and 
enter the field at the earliest possible moment. In view of the an- 
nbunced desire of General Pershing during the early part of his 
administration, that all activities be developed in cooperation with 
either the Red Cross, or the Y M C A, the Y W C A, so far as the 
militarization and circularization of its workers with American troops, 
used the existing machinery of the YMCA. The internal develop- 
ment of the Y W C A was wholly in its own hands. It grew steadily 
into a place of enviable usefulness in the A E F. Its nurses' clubs and 
its series of hostess houses furnished an almost invaluable meeting 
ground for the personnel alike of the Army and the relief and welfare 
organization. It also rendered valuable service in developing a large 
number of Foyers for French munition and other women war workers 
and in the federation of several French national women's organizations 
for cooperation in social work. 

The Salvation Army and the Y M C A 

In the summer of 1917 Colonel Barker of the Salvation Army asked 
the YMCA to extend an invitation to the Salvation Army to erect 
and man a number of huts in the training camps in France. The Y M 
C A replied this would be usurping the prerogatives of General Head- 
quarters, as an invitation of this sort could only be extended by the 
Army itself. The Y, however, did extend a most cordial invitation 
to the Salvation Army to send to France as many of their best trained 
workers as possible to assist in the welfare and general religious serv- 
ice in the huts, agreeing to give to these workers exactly the same fa- 
cilities as the YMCA proposed to accord to the leaders of all the 
religious bodies in the United States. The Salvation Army courteous- 
ly declined this invitation, maintaining that its constitution was so dif- 
ferent from those of the principal Protestant bodies that it could not 
be classified with them. The Salvation Army therefore maintained its 
separate identity throughout the history of the A E F, and though the 
scope of its work was all too small, the popularity of its service was 
widespread. On a great many occasions the Y was able to provide 
transportation, supplies, equipment, films, and other facilities for the 
Salvation Army, and at all times the relationship between the workers 
of the two organizations in the field was of a most cordial nature. 

Jewish Welfare Board and YMCA 

The Jewish Welfare Board officially accepted the invitation of the 
YMCA and functioned throughout the combat period as an auto- 
nomous body working within the YMCA organization. A large num- 



WITH THE RELIEF ORGANIZATIONS 201 

ber of their wprkers were stationed in the larger Y huts and by being 
a regular part of the hut staff were able greatly to enrich the whole 
welfare service to the men. Through a division of labor by which the 
clerical work and functions were handled by the Y workers, the Jewish 
Welfare Board secretaries were able to gain a maximum personal con- 
tact with the soldiers. This meant, especially when the number of 
Jewish Welfare M^orkers was very small, that the staff was so dis- 
tributed as to be accessible to the maximum number of Jewish sol- 
diers. On Jewish holy-days and at other times, the facilities of the Y 
huts were freely offered and used for Jewish religious services. In the 
Winter of 1918-19, when the number of workers was substantially in- 
creased, it was possible for the Board to establish a number of centers 
of its own, completely manned by Jewish workers. The success of 
these centers was pronounced, and the cooperation between the Y M 
C A and the Jewish Welfare Board was all that could be desired. In 
fact, many workers in both organizations testified that one of the most 
inspiring experiences of their efforts abroad was the magnificent team- 
work with the members of the other organization. 

Knights of Columbus and Y M C A 

The first man to arrive in France in the uniform of the Knights of 
Columbus was the Reverend Father Joseph Pontour, who. with Felix 
Limongi, was sent over in the latter part of August, 1917. to investi- 
gate conditions with a view to securing the necessary permission to 
operate with the A E F. A study of the reports of Father Pontour 
led the Knights to send abroad their first Overseas Commissioner, Mr. 
Walter N. Kernan, who sailed in October, 1917. After extended con- 
ference with the Commander-in-Chief and the heads of the Red Cross 
and Y M C A. full authority was accorded to the Knights to begin 
active operations with the A E F. Commissioner Kernan's report, 
on his return, led to increased effort in behalf of the soldiers overseas. 
The Overseas Department was organized, offices being secured in 
New York to facilitate the handling of men and supplies bound for 
Europe. 

In the words of the official history, "The Knights of Columbus in 
Peace and War" : "The first group of Knights of Columbus, properly 
speaking, to sail for France, went with Commissioner Kernan in 
March. 1918." In accordance with another recommendation of Com- 
missioner Kernan, the Reverend Patrick J. McGivney and Mr. William 
T. Mulligan were sent to France. They made an extensive tour, con- 
ferred with General Pershing, and were able to inform him that the 
Knights of Columbus were eager to expend a large sum of money for 
their work in France. Leases on buildings for clubs were acquired 
in Brest, St. Nazaire. Bordeaux, LeMans, Toul and elsewhere. Con- 



202 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

tracts were made for the erection of huts at these and other centers. 
In fact, while Mr. Mulligan and Father McGivney were in France, the 
number of Knights of Columbus workers increased from 20 to more 
than 50. Early in June, 1918, Supreme Chaplain McGivney and Mr. 
Mulligan returned to New York to reinforce Commissioner Kernan's 
plea for more workers. The response was inspiring, for on September 
11 the number of workers had jumped from less than 60 at the be- 
ginning of June to 223. On October 30 it totalled 380; on January 1, 
1919, 576; and on April 2 the grand total had reached 725. This force 
was later supplemented by numbers of demobilized members of the 
A E F who donned the Knights of Columbus uniform to assist in the 
still further expansion of its work for the troops awaiting return to 
America. 

Owing to the limitations which war conditions placed on the ex- 
pansion of the YMCA program, which to a certain extent similarly 
constricted the efforts of the Knights of Columbus, the total number of 
huts and clubs provided by the two organizations was never, prior to 
February, 1919, sufficient to meet the full recreational needs of the 
A E F. This situation, so little understood in the United States, 
explains why there was virtually no reduplication of effort in the pro- 
vision of soldiers' clubs overseas. There was at all times the heartiest 
spirit of cooperation between the Chief Secretary of the YMCA and 
the three successive Overseas Commissioners of the Knights of Col- 
umbus, Mr. Kernan, Mr. Lawrence O. Murray, and Mr. Edward L. 
Hearn. 

In addition to the recreational clubs established, the Knights of 
Columbus laid especial emphasis on the promotion of boxing on a 
large scale. In the Spring and Summer of 1919 they entered the enter- 
tainment field, putting several shows on the road. They also organ- 
ized the A E F Circus, which toured France in the summer of 1919, 
the YMCA cooperating in furnishing performers, costumes and 
equipment. 

At places where the Knights of Columbus had no huts, the facili- 
ties of the Y huts were placed at their disposal for religious services at 
mutually convenient times, and for the distribution of literature. 

General Orders Coordinating Work of All Organizations 

On November 30, 1918, Bulletin 96 from Army General Head- 
quarters again defined the field for all organizations: 

"The Red Cross will provide for the relief work, and the YMCA 
will provide for the amusemenit and recreation of the troops by 
means of its usual program of social, educational, physical, and re- 
ligious activities. The Knights of Columbus and the Salvation Army 
will participate with the YMCA in the activities prescribed for it. 



WITH THE RELIEF ORGANIZATIONS 203 

The Y W C A and the Jewish Welfare Board will carry on their 
activities through the Y M C A. The American Library Associa- 
tion will cooperate with the other organizations to the fullest extent 
and wherever possible will put its book service at the disposition of 
the A E F through the medium of those organizations. 

"A joint committee representing these organizations will meet 
at least once every month for consideration of questions of mutual 
concern and coordination of plans and activities. 

"Exchanges for the A E F are conducted by the Y M C A. Ex- 
changes may also be conducted by the Salvation Army and Knights 
of Columbus in localities not served by the Y M C A and by the Red 
Cross in connection with hospitals and at railroad stations, to be 
governed by existing orders affecting the Y M C A exchange service. 

By command of General Pershing." 

Cooperation between American Library Association and Y M C A 

The work of the American Library Association in France was 
done chiefly through the medium of other organizations until the 
Spring of 1918. American Library Association books in large quan- 
tities had been placed on transports since the Fall of 1917 and had 
been distributed during the voyages by Y M C A secretaries. Camp 
libraries had been furnished by both the Y and the American Library 
Association, but after April, 1918, the latter agreed to furnish all 
library books used in the huts of the various organizations. This 
did not include the text books for Army educational work, and the 
• distribution of all other literary supplies was left to the Y. After 
this time, the American Library Association sent over a number 
of library experts to install and manage their work at various centers. 

The personnel of the American Library Association were cleared 
through the Y, and they were responsible to the Y chiefs in the 
divisions where they worked. The American Library Association 
sent over 37 directors, and the Y loaned a large number of librarians 
in France to the American Library Association for that service. 
The largest camps usually had an American Library Association 
librarian in charge of the distributing station and main library. The 
branch libraries in any district were in huts of Y, Red Cross, Salva- 
tion Army, and Knights of Columbus, or in separate buildings rented 
or erected by the Y, and kept well supplied with reading matter by 
the American Library Association, Even in Vladivostok, in De- 
cember, 1918, there was an American Library Association repre- 
sentative who furnishec* books to the Y huts. 

On May 25, 1918, the Y M C A offered to sub-lease to the American 
Library Association the ground floor of the building at 10 Rue de 



204 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

I'Elysee with such storage space at the rear of it as might be needed. 
This proposition was accepted, and the Paris Hbrary became an im- 
portant clearing station for the entire work. 

Conditions Created by Critical Military Situation 

As is usual in extensive and cooperative welfare work, much 
criticism was current; some justified, some uninformed and unworth- 
ily attempting to discredit the sincere efforts of workers and organi- 
zations. When criticism was justified, the causes were removed if 
possible. A great deal of criticism, justified by facts, was misdirected. 

The conditions caused by limited rail and motor transportation, 
the lack of tonnage, the urgent need of the Allies to subordinate 
everything to the transfer of American troops and their absolute 
necessities to France, the exigencies of the critical military situation 
imperilled by the submarine and other activities of the enemy, which 
the entire military and naval forces of the Allies could not at once 
overcome, — these were the conditions largely responsible for failures 
in performance on the part of the welfare organizations. 

During the War these criticisms were willingly borne in silence, 
because it was contrary to military policy to publish explanations 
which would have given information to the enemy and impaired 
morale. Aspersion frequently arose from treacherous propaganda, 
foreign and domestic, or from rumor and gossip magnified for ulterior 
purposes. But, the United States Government and the Commander-in- 
Chief and General Stafif of the A E F, always accurately informed of 
the prevailing conditions and of the plans and efforts of the Y M C A^ 
to perform its work under these conditions, repeatedly signified confi- 
dence in its good faith and approval of its performance. 

The YMCA unreservedly stands on its record of achievement 
and services rendered in the World War, as summarized in this hand- 
book. 

Summary of Cooperative Relationships of All Services 

In summary : The Army Orders outline the work undertaken 
by the several organizations and define the relationship between 
them. The YMCA supplied entertainment service to all organiza- 
tions, rendered assistance in hospital and construction service to the 
Red Cross, lent its clearance and military contact privilege to the 
American Library Association, to the Y W C A and to the Jewish Wel- 
fare Board. It supplied the American Library Association with per- 
sonnel for many of its branch libraries. In return, it received the 
privileges of care of its sick personnel in Red Cross hospitals, the 
valuable services of Y W C A and Jewish Welfare Board personnel 



HOJV THE AMERICAN PEOPLE GAVE 205 

in some of _ its activities, the generous stocking of its library build- 
ings by the American Library Association. Each organization found 
the others helpful in the fundamental matter of covering the field 
and ministering to the welfare of the American Army. 



XIII— RESOURCES— HOW THE AMERICAN PEOPLE 
GAVE OVER $161,000,000 

The money necessary to maintain these extensive operations was 
obtained from three campaigns and miscellaneous sources which re- 
sulted in the addition of the sum of $161,722,649.42 to the Y's re- 
sources. The first campaign April 26-May 3, 1917, netted the sum 
of $5,113,666.98. The second campaign November 11-18, 1917, re- 
sulted in $53,334,546.81. 

The third campaign was held under the auspices of the United 
War Work Council which consisted of representatives of seven or- 
ganizations cooperating jointly for the collection of funds. These 
seven organizations were The Young Men's Christian Association, 
The Young Women's Christian Association, The Knights of Colum- 
bus, The Jewish Welfare Board, The War Camp Community Coun- 
cil, The American Library Association, and The Salvation Army. 
A National Organization was constituted and located in New York 
City, which functioned through the six military departments of the 
United States each of which was organized along the same lines 
as the National Organization. These again had jurisdiction over 
the states within their areas and were also similarly organized. Dr. 
John R. Mott served as Director-General of this United Campaign. 

The entire American people responded to this joint appeal with 
a generosity which was typical of the American spirit. Never in 
the annals of human history had such a sum been collected for social 
service work through voluntary contributions. While the amount 
requested by the seven organizations was $170,000,000, the total 
collected was $203,199,730, nearly 20% above the quota asked; 46 
states exceeded their quota. Among the most notable were Arizona 
by 248% ; Delaware by 230% ; Texas by 222%. The responses from 
foreign countries were most gratifying. China subscribed $1,300,000; 
Japan $575,000 ; Cuba $118,000. The largest individual subscription 
was that from John D. Rockefeller and his son, $8,000,000. 

The amount collected was apportioned pro rata among the 
seven organizations composing the United War Work Council and 
the Y received as its allotment 58.65% of the amount collected. As 
a result of this campaign the amount of $100,759,731.17 was added 
to its funds. In addition there were miscellaneous donations amount- 



206 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

ing to $551,628.92 from home and overseas; miscellaneous income of 
$252,940.73 and interest on bank balances and securities amounting 
to $1,710,134.81 which incidentally was sufficient to pay 70% of the 
total of the General and Administrative expenses at General Head- 
quarters, New York, from the commencement of operations till 
October 31, 1919. 

SUMMARY OF RECEIPTS 

(From April 26, 1917, to December 31, 1919) 

First Campaign $5,113,666.98 

Second Campaign 53,334,546.81 

Third Campaign (United War Work) 100,759,731.17 

Overseas and Miscellaneous 551,628.92 

Miscellaneous Income 252,940.73 

Interest on Bank Balances and Securities 1,710,134.81 

Total Receipts $161,722,649.42 



XIV— FINANCES— WHAT WAS ACCOMPLISHED 
WITH THE PEOPLE'S MONEY 

It is impossible to estimate service rendered in terms of money. 
The preceding pages record the work accomplished in terms of service. 
Pp. 217-228 of this handbook give the statement of the Finance Com- 
mittee. It is well here, however, to summarize the appropriations 
and expenditures for conducting the aforementioned operations. 

The total amount expended in maintaining the activities of 
YMCA work amounted to the sum of $129,082,917.43 from April 
26, 1917, to December 31, 1919. 

Financial Statement of February 22, 1920 

Mr. WilHam Sloane, Chairman of the National War Work Council 
of the Y M C A., on February 22, 1920, made public a full financial 
statement of the operations of the Council from the beginning of 
its work in April, 1917, down to the beginning of the present year. 
The statement shows that the Council received from the first YMCA 
Campaign $5,113,666.98; from the second YMCA Campaign $53,- 
334,546.81; from the United War Work Campaign it 'received up to 
January 1st $100,759,731.17, and from other sources $2,514,704.46, or a 
total of $161,722,649.42. The expenditures show that there were spent 
on the American soldiers, sailors and marines in the United States 
$38,809,642.50 ; upon American soldiers, sailors, and marines overseas, 
less income from salvage operations and from the operation of the 



WHAT WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITH THE MONEY 207 

Post Exchange, $52,382,736.03 ; upon serving the Allied Armies and 
Prisoners of War $19,782,192.95. Other expenses involving the work, 
both at home and overseas, such as the selecting and training of 
secretaries, general activities expenses, etc., aggregated over seven 
million dollars more. 

The commitments already made for continuance of the work not 
only on behalf of the American Army and Navy at home and over- 
seas, but also among the many Allied Armies in the troubled areas 
of Europe and Asia, amount to something over $21,000,000, leaving 
an approximate unappropriated balance of $17,000,000. This has sub- 
sequently been reduced to between $7,000,000 and $8,000,000, and this 
balance is to be devoted largely to permanent Y M C A Army and 
Navy Buildings. 

The favorable showing indicated by the statements is due to the 
following facts : 

1. The military and naval forces have been demobilized much more 
rapidly than was originally contemplated. 

2. The educational work of the Association in France was trans- 
ferred, shortly after the signing of the Armistice, to the Army — the 
Government reimbursing the Association for the large amount of 
money expended by it on textbooks and also assuming the support 
of some 460 Association educational workers. 

3. The salvage operations of the Association overseas have been 
remarkably successful. 

4. The French Government most generously remitted to the Asso- 
ciation the large item of railway transportation, and a like generous 
action was taken by the American Government in remitting the item 
of freight on government transports and on American railways in 
France and also in canceling charges for certain large items, such as 
oil and gasoline used in motor transport. 

5. The War and Navy Departments recently assumed responsi- 
bility for welfare work inside the camps and stations hitherto con- 
ducted by the Association in conjunction with other welfare societies. 

Constructive Plans for Future 

At the last joint meeting of the Executive and Finance Committees 
of the National War Work Council after consideration of the state- 
ment of the Comptroller, the following recommendations were 
adopted : 

(1) The continued support of such Welfare Work as the Young 
Men's Christian Association is now carrying on for enlisted men in 
the American Army and Navy in the United States and its possessions 
and Overseas wherever American troops are still held. This recom- 
mendation includes the maintenance of the permanent Young Men's 
Christian Association buildings for American soldiers and sailors. 



208 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

also needed additions thereto and new buildings for such purposes. 
(Any money devoted to buildings will be paid from funds remain- 
ing from the distinctive YMCA Campaigns.) 

(2) The continuance of the support of the work now being carried 
on for the soldiers and sailors of our Allies beyond the year 1920, 
should the seriously unsettled conditions occasioned by the War con- 
tinue. 

(3) The setting apart of a substantial portion of the surplus to be 
regarded as a Reserve Fund which might be used at any time for 
rendering YMCA service in any grave national emergency. This 
Reserve Fund should certainly be held for these purposes for at least 
two years. 

(4) The continuance of the Educational Program for ex-service 
men. We recommend also a study of the needs of the wounded ex- 
service men who are now having Vocational Training. 

(5) We recommend that the total amount that seems now to have 
accrued in the operation of the Canteen, approximately $500,000, 
(brought about by the Government's cancellation of the charges aggre- 
gating $2,500,000 and for which we had a reserve fund) be used for the 
benefit of ex-service men, either through an appropriation direct to 
the American Legion or to the relief of incapacitated ex-service men, 
or to such other purposes for the benefit of ex-service men as might 
be agreed upon between the officers of the National War Work Coun- 
cil and the officers of the American Legion. (See correspondence with 
American Legion, on page 211.) 

(6) We recommend that a Budget be prepared embracing the 
above recommendations, with estimated amounts required to carry 
out each item and including such other appropriations as the Execu- 
tive and Finance Committees may agree upon ; and that a full detailed 
statement be published. 

(7) As the United States is not yet at peace, as the world situation 
is still so unstable, and as our responsibilities both within and outside 
our national borders cannot now be determined, we recommend that 
another financial statement be made about July 1, with any further 
recommendations necessitated by changed conditions. 

Successful Salvage Operations 

A Salvage Board was organized overseas early in February, 1919, 
and worked under the supervision of the Paris Finance Committee. 
This board was charged with the problem of converting into cash as 
quickly as possible and on the most advantageous basis, the assets 
of the "A E F-Y M C A." 

Motor transport equipment, which constituted one of the largest 
items of the investment, presented one of the most complex problems 
for the Salvage Bureau to handle. This equipment was in every stage 
of physical condition, due to rough usage. Many cars were gathered 
from the roadsides where thev had been abandoned and were taken 



WHAT WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITH THE MONEY 209 

to Divisional Headquarters and from Divisional Headquarters to the 
Motor Transfer Department in Paris. 

It was found that the market was overstocked with motor equip- 
ment not in running condition but that there was ready sale, at favor- 
able prices, for equipment in good running order. Confronted by this 
fact, steps were taken to secure space and equip a motor rebuilding 
plant, capable of dismantling and rebuilding this equipment, supply- 
ing the necessary new parts, and turning out rebuilt machines. This 
plant, when under operation, employed over 300 French mechanics, 
together with fifty American Y M C A secretaries who were spe- 
cialists on motor mechanics and who filled the executive positions. 
Under normal conditions, the plant was able to turn out fifty rebuilt 
cars per week. The prices secured for these rebuilt cars were beyond 
expectation and the wisdom of the plan has been shown by the 
rapidity with which the entire output was disposed of. The amount 
realized on motor transport overseas to October 31 was $1,672,000. 

Much the same procedure was followed in the reconstruction of 
pianos, talking machines, organs, etc. They were transformed into 
serviceable instruments by the repair shop and brought very satis- 
factory prices. 

Salvaging of materials in scattered points, of which there were over 
2000, was conducted by a flying corps of salvage men, who followed 
each demobilization move made by the Army and sold the supplies 
to the local populace. This method of sale avoided the expense of 
packing the goods for shipment and the cost of transportation, and 
very satisfactory results were obtained. 

Theatrical materials, including over 13,000 costumes used in con- 
nection with the traveling soldier shows, trunks, musical instruments, 
and scenery, were assembled in Paris, where quarters were opened 
and where the materials found ready sale. Over 500,000 francs were 
realized from this class of goods which at first seemed to have little, 
if any, salvage value. 

Huts proved to be one of the most difficult items in salvage to dis- 
pose of, due to the hard usage received, the poor materials used, and 
the surplus of similar construction material abandoned and salvaged 
by the Army. A number of them were disposed of at a nominal price 
to the Belgian Government for public schools; others for churches 
in devastated areas. Receipts to October 31, 1919 on huts, tents, etc., 
amounted to $476,000. 

The salvage operations in the United States are on a much smaller 
scale. Owing to the scattered locations where activities were carried 
on from the Atlantic to the Pacific, it was not practicable to assemble 
the stocks at one central point. A Headquarters Salvage Bureau is 
maintained in New York and has, in addition to the stocks returned 



210 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

from nearby camps, those returned from overseas. The principal item 
in the latter class is athletic goods, for which little sale is to be found 
in France. 

Only a small number of our huts and buildings in the United States 
has been disposed of, due principally to our inability to secure from 
the War Department authority to salvage. This authorization is re- 
quired, as the buildings are on Government property. In addition, the 
buildings and equipment located in all continuing camps in the United 
States, have been loaned free of charge to the War Department for 
use in welfare work. This disposition materially afifects our salvage 
showings. 

Salvage operations have practically closed overseas, except in 
Germany and Silesia, but are being continued in all Departments of 
the United States in full force as quickly as the materials and supplies 
are made available. 

The total salvage receipts to December 31, 1919, are in excess of 
$6,000,000. 



Note on Post Exchange Operations 

The result of the Post Exchange or Canteen operations, as shown 
by the books to October 31, 1919, is a book profit of $666,553.88 which, 
at December 31, 1919, is reduced, by reason of subsequent adjust- 
ments, to $508,899.79. This figure, however, is not a true reflection 
of the net results of the operations of the YMCA for the reason 
that no charge has been made against the Canteen for the wages or 
living allowances and traveling expenses of the canteen workers, 
for rent of huts, cost of construction of canteen facilities, or for 
any of the expenses of the Paris Headquarters Office from which the 
Post Exchange business as a whole was conducted and directed. 
These items collectively, if ascertainable, would probably more than 
absorb the relatively small credit balance now shown, which is less 
than 2 per cent, of the total Canteen sales in Europe. 

In explanation of the 'disparity between the book loss of $1,478,- 
084.14 shown in the March published report, and the book profit of 
$666,553.88 now reported, it should be stated that the difference repre- 
sents adjustments made necessary by the action of the United States 
Government in relieving all welfare organizations of any charges for 
ocean freight on supplies carried on transports and tor rail trans- 
portation and motor supplies furnished in France, in respect of which 
provisional reserves had been set up on our books. These reserves 
have now been written back and cancelled and the results, as shown 
above, correspondingly adjusted. 



WHAT WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITH THE MONEY 211 

Correspondence with American Legion 

The offer of the War Work Council to the American Legion, of the 
funds now accruing in the operation of the Canteen, and the accept- 
ance of this offer, are shown in the following correspondence: 

February 7, 1920. 
Franklin d'Olier, Esq., 
My dear Mr. d'Olier: 

Doubtless you know that at the desire of General Pershing, as 
expressed in G. O. 33, Series 1917, the National War Work Council 
of the Young Men's Christian Association undertook the operation 
of the post exchanges or canteens in France in connection with its 
other work for the American Expeditionary Forces. This was done in 
accordance with General Pershing's expressed desire "that officers 
and enlisted men may not be taken away for that purpose from their 
paramount military functions of training and fighting." 

Up to the time this work was taken back by the Army on April 1, 
1919, the total volume of business transacted by the Post Exchanges 
through the Association was $37,800,000. It was the practice of the 
Association from the outset to make no profit whatever from this 
business, but on the contrary to assume whatever loss was incurred. 

On March 31, 19*19, this loss appeared to be $1,478,084.14 and was 
charged on the Association's bo'oks to the cost of operating the can- 
teens. The cost included only the actual cost of the articles sold in 
addition to estimated cost of transportation and insurance. The 
prices charged did not include wages or living allowance, traveling 
expense of canteen workers, rent of huts, cost of construction of 
canteen facilities, or any overhead expenses. 

Recently the charges for transportation of canteen supplies have 
been generously remitted by the American and French Governments, 
so that the Association now has a surplus in excess of $500,000 above 
the cost of conducting the canteen. Our Executive and Finance Com- 
mittes have, therefore, authorized us to write you as National Com- 
mander of the American Legion — the organization which is most 
widely and intimately in touch with and representative of the ex- 
service men and in our judgment best qualified to make the best 
use of any such funds in their interests — and hereby beg to place the 
entire amount at the disposal of the American Legion without re- 
striction as to its use. 

We would, however, express a preference that so far as needed, 
the money be used for the benefit of disabled ex-service men or for the 
work of the ex-service men on behalf of the country — for example, for 
the most commendable efforts of the American Legion through its 
National Americanism Commission. 



212 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

Will you kindly take the matter into consideration? Should 
your decision be favorable as to accepting this money, we would be 
glad to hear from you with suggestions as to the use of such a fund. 

Very truly yours, 
(Signed) WILLIAM SLOANE, Chairman, 
J. R. MOTT, General Secretary. 

February 11, 1920. 
John R. Mott, Esq., General Secretary, 

National War Work Council, YMCA, 
347 Madison Avenue, New York City. 

Dear Mr. Mott : 

I am instructed by the National Executive Committee of the Amer- 
ican Legion to accept on behalf of the American Legion the fund of 
approximately $500,000, which the National War Work Council gen- 
erously offered to the American Legion in your letter of February 
7, 1920. 

After consideration of your letter the National Executive Commit- 
tee in meeting at National Headquarters, Indianapolis, Indiana, on 
February 10, 1920, adopted the following resolution : 

"Whereas, the National War Work Council of the Young Men's 
Christian Association at the request of General Pershing undertook 
the operation of the Post Exchanges in France in connection with its 
other work for the American Expeditionary Forces, and 

"Whereas, it was the practice of the Association from the outset to 
make no profit whatever from this business and to assume what- 
ever loss was incurred, except the actual cost of the articles sold and 
the estimated cost of transportation and insurance, which, up to the 
time this work was taken back by the Army on April 1, 1919, en- 
tailed a loss of $1,478,084.14 and 

"Whereas, through the remittance by the American and French 
Governments . of transportation charges for Post Exchange supplies, 
there is now available a surplus in excess of $500,000 over and above 
the cost of operating these exchanges by the Association, and 

"Whereas, the National War Work Council through William 
Sloane, Chairman, and John Mott, Sec'y, has offered to place this fund 
at the disposal of the American Legion for the best interest of ex- 
service men, without restriction as to its use, now therefore 

"Be it Resolved, that the National Executive Committee of the 
American Legion hereby accepts on behalf of the American Legion 
the fund offered by the National War Work Council of the Young 
Men's Christian Association, to be held as a trust fund for a period of 
five years by a Trust Company acting in the capacity of a trustee 
under a deed of trust providing that said trustee shall hold, invest 



WHAT WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITH THE MONEY 213 

and re-invest the principal sum, paying only the income therefrom to 
the American Legion, disposition of said income, subject to the 
authority of the National Executive Committee to be used in further- 
ance of activities for the benefit of ex-service men and women and 
said trusteeship to be subject to revocation by the vote of three- 
fourths of the entire membership of the National Executive Com- 
mittee. 

"Be it further Resolved, that the National Commander be in- 
structed to express to the National War Work Council of the Young 
Men's Christian Association the gratitude and appreciation of the ex- 
service men for whose benefit this fumi has been offered." 

In accordance with the above resolution, I desire to express to the 
National War Work Council, through you, the sincere appreciation 
of the American Legion. 

In forwarding these funds, you may designate Robert H. Tyndall, 
National Treasurer, American Legion, Meridian Life Building, In- 
dianapolis, Indiana, as the proper person to receipt for them in behalf 
of the American Legion. 

Sincerely yours, 

(Signed) FRANK D'OLIER, 

National Commander. 

February 11, 1920. 
Mr. John R. Mott, General Secretary, 

National War Work Council of the Y M C A, 
347 Madison Avenue, New York City. 

My dear Mr. Mott : 

In order" that all State Departments and individual posts of the 
American Legion may be fully advised of your recent action, the 
enclosed Bulletin has been forwarded to all Department Commanders 
and Department Adjutants throughout the entire country, and will be 
forwarded by them to their respective posts. 

This copy is sent you for your information in this regard. 

Sincerely yours, 

(Signed) FRANKLIN D'OLIER, 

National Commander. 

BULLETIN 
SPECIAL February 11, 1920. 

No. 14. 

Subject: Canteen Surplus Receipts, Presentation of 

At the meeting of the National Executive Committee here in In- 
dianapolis yesterday, the following letter was presented as being 



214 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

received by the National Commander from William Sloane, Chairman, 
and John R. Mott, General Secretary of the National War Work 
Council of the Young Men's Christian Association of the United 
States : 

"Doubtless you know that at the desire of General Pershing, as 
expressed in G. O. 33, Series 1917, the National War Work Council 
of the Young Men's Christian Association undertook the operation 
of the Post Exchanges or Canteens in France in connection with its 
other work for the American Expeditionary Forces. This was done 
in accordance with General Pershing's expressed desire, 'that officers 
and enlisted men may not be taken away for that purpose from their 
paramount military functions of training and fighting.' 

"Up to the time this work was taken back by the Army on April 
1, 1919, the total volume of business transacted by the post exchanges 
through the Association was $37,800,000. It was the practice of the 
Association from the outset to make no profit whatever from this 
business, but on the contrary to assume whatever loss was incurred. 

"On March 31, 1919, this loss appeared to be $1,478,084.14 and 
was charged on the Association's books to the cost of operating the 
canteens. This cost included only the actual cost of the articles sold 
in addition to the estimated cost of transportation and insurance. The 
prices charged did not include wages or living allowance, traveling 
expenses of canteen workers, rent of huts, cost of construction of 
canteen facilities or any overhead expenses. 

"Recently the charges for transportation of canteen supplies had 
been generously remitted by the American and French Governments, 
so that the Association now has a surplus in excess of $500,000 
above the cost of conducting the canteen. Our Executive and Finance 
Committees have, therefore, authorized us to write you as National 
Commander of the American Legion — the organization which is most 
widely and intimately in touch with and representative of the ex- 
service men and in our judgment best qualified to make the best use 
of any such funds in their interests — and hereby beg to place the en- 
tire amount at the disposal of the American Legion without restric- 
tion as to its use. 

"We would, however, express a preference that so far as needed, 
the money be used for the benefit of disabled ex-service men or for 
the work of ex-service men on behalf of the country — for example, 
for the most commendable efforts of the American Legion through 
its National Americanism Commission. 

"Will you kindly take the matter into consideration? Should 
your decision be favorable as to accepting this money, we would be 
glad to hear from you with suggestions as to the use of such a fund." 

After a full discussion of this proposition, the National Executive 
Committee unanimously passed the following: 

"WHEREAS, the National War Work Council of the Young 
Men's Christian Association at the request of General Pershing under- 



WHAT WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITH THE MONEY 215 

took the operation of the post exchanges in France in connection 
with its other work for the American Expeditionary Forces, and 

"WHEREAS, it was the practice of the Association from the out- 
set to make no profit whatever from this business and to assume 
whatever loss was incurred, except the actual cost of the articles sold 
and the estimated cost of transportation and insurance, which, up to 
the time this work was taken back by the Army on April 1, 1919, 
entailed a loss of $1,478,084.14, and 

"WHEREAS, through the remittance by the American and French 
Governments of transportation charges for post exchange supplies, 
there is now available a surplus in excess of $500,000 over and above 
the cost of operating these exchanges by the Association, and 

"WHEREAS, the National War Work Council through William 
Sloane, Chairman, and John R. Mott, Secretary, has offered to place 
this fund at the disposal of the American Legion for the best interests 
of ex-service men, without restriction as to its use, now therefore 

"BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Executive Committee of 
the American Legion hereby accepts on behalf of the American 
Legion the fund offered by the National War Work Council of the 
Young Men's Christian Association, to be held as a trust furid for a 
period of five years by a Trust Company acting in the capacity of a 
trustee under the deed of trust providing that said trustee shall hold, 
invest and re-invest the principal sum, paying only the income there- 
from to the American Legion, disposition of said income, subject 
to the authority of the National Executive Committee to be used in 
furtherance of activities for the benefit of ex-service men and women 
and said trusteeship to be subject to revocation by the vote of three- 
fourths of the entire membership of the National Executive Com- 
mittee. 

"BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the National Commander 
be instrucated to express to the National War Work Council of the 
Young Men's Christian Association the gratitude and appreciation of 
the ex-service men for whose benefit this fund has been offered." 

It is particularly gratifying that this Association should desire to 
turn over to the American Legion this fund, especially when it was 
brought out ofificially that the Young Men's Christian Association in 
the operation of its canteens in France, charged a price which merely 
covered the actual cost of the merchandise, plus transportation 
charges and insurance. On a business of nearly $38,000,000 an ac- 
tual loss of about one and one-half million was sustained, not con- 
sidering any charges outside of the actual merchandise cost, plus 
transportation and insurance. As a result of the remission of trans- 
portation charges by the American and French Governments, this 
loss was turned into a profit of approximately $500,000 and this is 



216 WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 

the sum which is being turned over to the American Legion for the 
benefit of ex-service men and women. 

It is recommended that the information contained in this bulletin 
be forwarded to each Post in your Department in the usual way. 

FRANKLIN D'OLIER, 
National Commander. 

February 14th, 1920. 
Dear Mr. D'Olier: 

I have just received your important communication of February 
11th in which you report the resolution adopted by the National 
Executive Committee cf the American Legion in its meeting in In- 
dianapolis on February 10th with reference to the proposal made 
in the letter of Mr. Sloane and myself in the name of the National 
War* Work Council of the YMCA. I wish to express our deep 
appreciation of this action and of the terms in which you have kindly 
conveyed it. 

We have called a joint meeting of the Executive and Finance Com- 
mittees of the National War Work Council to be held Thursday, 
February 26th, at which time your communication will be presented 
and the action of Mr. Sloane and myself will be confirmed. I feel 
entirely confident that the plan which your Committee has proposed 
as to the use and custody of the fund will commend itself to our 
Committee. 

With highest regard, 

Very sincerely yours, 

(Signed) J. R. MOTT. 
FRANKLIN D'OLIER, ESQ., 

National Commander of the American Legion, 
Meridian Life Bldg., IndianapoHs, Ind. 



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HONOR ROLL 



Overseas 



ALLEN, ELVIN L. Hinckley, Me. 

Teacher. Died, St. Die Hospital, Oct. 3, 
1918, of pneumonia. Secretary, Foyer du Sol- 
dat, Etival. Born, 1879. Sailed, Feb. 23, 1918. 
Place of burial, St. Die Cemetery. Next of 
kin, Mrs. E. L. Allen, wife, 215 College Av., 
Waterville, Me. 

ADAMS, DAISY Jessup, Md. 

Red Cross. Died, Base Hospital 4, Liverpool, 
England, Jan. 4, 1919, of influenza. En route 
to Paris. Born, Aug. 21, 1881. Sailed, Dec. 
21, 1918. Place of burial, Maryland. Next of 
kin, Mrs. S. M. Hamilton, sister, 1214 N. 
Charles St., Baltimore, Md. 

BALLOU, FREDERICK D. Richmond, Ky. 
Printer. Drowned, Dar-es-Salam Harbor,, 
German East Africa, Sept., 1918. Secretary, 
East African Expeditionary Forces. Born, 
Feb. 27, 1891. Sailed, Feb. 10, 1917. Place of 
burial, Dar-es-Salam. Next of kin, Mrs. Pattie 
Ballou, mother, 352 Irvine St., Richmond, Ky. 

BEECHER, JUDSON H. Mt. Kisco, N. Y. 

Produce Dealer. Died, St. Nazaire Base 
Hospital 101, Oct. 26, 1918, of pneumonia. 
Secretary, St. Nazaire. Bom, April 1, 1890. 
Sailed, Dec. 22, 1917. Place of burial, 4th 
grave, 3d row from center, American Cemetery, 
St. Nazaire. Next of kin. Rev. W. A. Beecher, 
father, Sennate, N. Y. 

BIRCHBY, JAMES A. Pasadena, Cal. 

Teacher. Killed near Sommepy (Marne), 
Oct. 4, 1918, by German sniper's bullet. Sec- 
retary, 2d Division, AEF. Bom, Nov. 25, 
1879. Sailed, May 23, 1918. Place of burial, 
grave 88, section 92, plot 2, Argonne-American 
Cemetery, Romagne-sous-Montfaucon (Meuse). 
Next of kin, H. B. Birchby, brother, 540 S. 
Marengo Av., Pasdena, Cal. 

BRANUM, VIRGINIA L. Sewickley, Pa. 

Social Worker. Died, Lamalou-les-Bains 
(Herault), March 30, 1919, of meningitis. 
Secretary, Lamalou-les-Bains. Born, Feb. 12, 
1892. Sailed, Nov. 20, 1918. Place of burial, 
Lamalou Cemetery. Next of kin, P. D. Bra- 
num, father, 227 Thorn St., Sewickley, Pa. 

BROOKS, CHAUNCEY D. Syracuse, N. Y. 
Manager. Died, Paris Camp Hospital 4, Join- 
ville-le-pont, May 27, 1919, of scarlet fever. 
Head of Lecture Service Bureau, Headquarters, 
Paris. Born, Oct. 14, 1871. Sailed, March 25, 
1919. Place of burial, American Cemetery, 
Suresmes-sur-Seine. Next of kin, Mrs. C. D. 
Brooks, wife, 206 Comstock Av., Syracuse, 
N. Y. 

BRUBAKER, ELIZABETH A. Lancaster, Pa. 
Stenographer and Bookkeeper. Died, Paris- 
American Hospital, Neuilly, Oct. 28, 1919, re- 
sult of operation. Secretary, Hotel Accounting 
Department, Headquarters, Paris'. Born, Dec. 
15, 1877. Sailed, Feb. 8, 1919. Place of 
burial, YMCA plot, American Cemetery, 
Suresnes-sur-Seine. Next of kin, Mrs. H. P. 
Smith, sister, 131 E. Lemon St., Lancaster, Pa. 

BURRAGE, HELEN M. Cambridge, Mass. 

Social Worker. Died, Base Hospital 40, 

Knotty Ash Camp, Liverpool, England, Feb. 23, 



1919, of pneumonia. En route to Paris. Born, 
Feb. 26, 1889. Sailed, Jan. 31, 1919. Place of 
burial, Cambridge, Mass. Next of kin, Henry 
T. Burrage, father, 986 Charles River Road, 
Cambridge, Mass. 

BUSH, ROBERT D. Camilla, Ga. 

Lawyer. Died, Piedmont Sanitarium, At- 
lanta, Ga., Jan. 24, 1919, of nervous collapse — 
result of overseas service. Secretary, Motor 
Reception Park, Nantes. Born, Aug. 13, 1873. 
Sailed, Sept. 1, 1918. Place of burial, Camilla, 
Ga. Next of kin, Mrs. R. D. Bush, Camilla, Ga. 

CAMPBELL, ROBERT M. Kosciusko, Miss. 
Lawyer. Died, AEF Hospital 15, Chaumont, 
Sept. 14, 1918, of pneumonia. Secretary, 
Jonchery. Born, Aug. 14, 1891. Sailed, July 
23, 1918. Place of burial, grave 146, Officers' 
Plot, AEF Cemetery 10, Chaumont. Next of 
kin, W. A. Campbell, father, Hesterville, Miss. 

CARLEY, LEON A. Caldwell, N. J. 

Lawyer. Died, Bar-le-Duc, Oct. 31, 1918, 
result of motorcycle accident. Activities Di- 
rector, 29th Division, AEF. Born, Nov. 19, 
1871. Sailed, June 11, 1918. Place of burial, 
grave 224, AEF Cemetery, Bar-le-Duc. Next 
of kin, Mrs. L. A. Carley, wife, 8 Thurmont 
Road, Caldwell, N. J. 

CARPENTER, CLIFFORD A. Waukesha, Wis. 
Salesman. Drowned, Oct. 6, 1918, in ship- 
wreck of S.S. Otranto off coast of Scotland. 
Serving as Ocean Transport Secretary en route 
to Paris. Born, Oct. 21, 1876. Sailed, Sept. 
26, 1918. Place of burial, grave 190, Kilcho- 
man, Islay Island, Scotland. Next of kin, Mrs. 
C. A. Carpenter, wife, 310 Carroll St., Wau- 
kesha, Wis. 

CHAMBERS, HUGH B. Bardstown, Ky. 

Merchant. Died, Paris, Oct. 19, 1918, of 
pneumonia. Secretary, Headquarters, Paris. 
Born, Feb. 12, 1882. Sailed, Sept. 11, 1918. 
Place of burial, grave 106, YMCA Plot, Amer- 
ican Cemetery, Suresnes-sur-Seine. Next of 
kin, Mrs. H. B. Chambers, wife, Bardstown, 
Ky. 

CHAUVIN, RAOUL New York, N. Y. 

Chauffeur. Died, Paris, Nov. 17, 1918, of 
pneumonia, awaiting assignment to Foyer du 
Soldat. Born, March 8, 1875. Sailed, Oct. 26, 
1918: _ Place of burial, grave 109 YMCA Plot, 
American Cemetery, Suresnes-sur-Seine. Next 
of kin, Mrs. Raoul Chauvin, wife, 250 W. 22d 
St.,- New York, N. Y. 

CHISHOLM, JESSIE N. Seattle, Wash. 

Teacher of Expression. Died, German Hos- 
pital, Philadelphia, Pa., Aug. 2, 1919, result 
of operation. Entertainment Secretary, France 
and Germany. Born, July 28, 1874. Sailed, 
Oct. 23, 1918. Place of burial. United States. 
Next of kin, Frank R. Noyes, brother, 406 S. 
Hoover St., Los Angeles, Cal. 

CLARK, THEODORE H. L. Wasco, III. 

Minister. Died, BEF Officers' Hospital, Bas- 
rah, Mesopotamia, Sept. 9, 1917, of heatstroke. 
Secretary. BEF, Basrah. Born, April 16, 1892. 
Place of Durial, Officers' Section, BEF Military 



230 



WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 



Cemetery, Basrah. Next of kin, Joseph H. 
Clark, father, A. B. M.*S., Ford Bldg., Boston, 
Mass. 

COFFIN, HAROLD R. Chicago, III. 

Song Leader. Died, June 17, 1919, Chicago, 
111., result of having been gassed while in 
France. Born, June 20, 1881. Sailed, July, 
1918. Returned, Nov. 25, 1918. Place of 
burial. United States. Next of kin, Mrs. Mar- 
garet P. Coffin, wife, 417 So. Central Park Av., 
Chicago, 111. 

COLWELL, JOSEPH E. 

Ridgefield Park, N. J. 
Garage Manager. Died, Paris, Oct. 21, 1918, 
of pneumonia. Secretary, Motor Transport De- 
partment, Headquarters, Paris. Born, Dec. 25, 
1885. Sailed, Sept. 9, 1918. Place of burial, 
grave 107, YMCA Plot, American Cemetery, 
Suresnes-sur-Seine. Next of kin, Mrs. J. E. 
Colwell, wife, Ridgefield Park, N. J. 

COOPER, HEDLEY H. Piermont, N. Y. 

Minister. Killed, AEF Hospital, Baccarat 
(Meurthe et Moselle), May 26, 1918, by Ger- 
man gas shell. Secretary, 42d Division, AEF. 
Born, Jan. 25, 1886. Sailed, Feb. 8, 1918. 
Place of burial, grave E-11, Officers' Row, 
French Military Cemetery, Baccarat. Next of 
kin, Robert O. Cooper, father, Riverside, 111. 

CORLETT, WILLIAM G. Rochester, N. Y. 
Salesman. Died, Field Hospital 359, Daun, 
Germany, March 9, 1919, of pneumonia. Sec- 
retary, 90th Division, AEF. Born, March 31, 
1879. Sailed, June 29, 1918. Place of burial, 
AEF Cemetery, Berncastle Cues, Germany. 
Next of kin, Mrs. Wm. H. Corlett, mother, 190 
Cady St., Rochester, N. Y. 

GOTTEN, HOWARD Tarboro, N. C. 

Hotel Steward and Accountant. Died, Crag- 
mont Sanitarium, Blackmountain, N. C, Oct. 
20, 1919, of tuberculosis, result of having been 
gassed. Secretary, 77th Division, AEF, France. 
Born, 1882. Sailed, May 25, 1918. Returned, 
Feb. 2, 1919. Next of kin, J. W. Gotten, 
father, 144 So. Virginia Av., Tarboro, N. C. 

CRANDALL, MARION G. Alameda, Cal. 

Teacher. Killed, Ste. Menehould, March 26, 
1918, by German shell. Secretary, Foyer du 
Soldat. Born, April 25, 1872. Sailed, Feb. 
2, 1918. Place of burial, grave 5020, Military 
Hospital Cemetery, Ste. Menehould (Meuse). 
Next of kin, George T. Crandall, brother, 1617 
San Antonio Av., Alameda, Cal. 

CUTTING, ROBERT B. New York, N. Y. 

Teacher. Died, AEF Base Hospital 15, Chau- 
mont, April 1, 1918, result of operation. As- 
sociate Director, divisional training areas. 
Born, 1878. Sailed, Aug. 11, 1917. Place of 
burial. Officers' Section, AEF Cemetery 10, 
Chaumont. Next of kin, R. Fulton Cutting, 
father, 32 Nassau St., New York, N. Y. 

DUVALL, FRANK B. Clyde, N. Y. 

Minister. Died, Camp Infirmary, Ponteux 
(Landes), March 7, 1919, of influenza. Hut 
Secretary, 20th Engineers, Forestry Unit, 
AEF, Ponteux. Born, Nov. 7, 1875. Sailed, 
Sept. _ 1, 1918. Place of burial, grave 268, 
American Plot adjacent to French Cemetery, 
Ponteux. Next of kin, Mrs. F. B. Duvall, 
wife, 234 W. Borden Av., Syracuse, N. Y. 



EDWARDS. CHARLES C. Ellabel, Ga. 

Minister. Died, Bar-le-Duc, Oct. 31, 1918, 
of pneumonia. Secretary, Bar-le-Duc. Born, 
Sept. 6, 1884. Sailed, May 8, 1918. Place of 
burial. So. West Section, Military Cemetery, 
Bar-le-Duc. Next of kin, A. J. Edwards, 
father, Ellabel, Ga. 

ELLIS, HARRIET M. New York, N. Y. 

Hotel Manager. Died, Oxford, England, Aug. 
2, 1918, of meningitis. Secretary, Neuf chateau 
(Haute Marne). Bom, Sept. 25, 1885. Sailed, 
Feb. 2, 1918. Place of burial, Oxford, Eng- 
land. Next of kin, Mrs. Wm. H. Ellis, mother, 
Oxford, England. 

EMMEL, HARRY B. Kendrick, Idaho 

Clergyman. Died, Vladivostok, Siberia, Feb. 
27, 1920, of typhus. Secretary, AEF, Siberia, 
appointed Dec. 30, 1918. Previous assignment. 
Educational Secretary, Vancouver, Wash. Bom, 
April 19, 1880. Place of burial, Siberia. Next 
of kin, Mrs. Harry B. Emmel, wife, 814 Co- 
lumbia St., Hood River, Ore. 

FILES, GEORGE T. Brunswick, Me. 

Teacher. _ DietJ, Boston, Mass., April 23, 
1919, from illness contracted in France. Sec- 
retary, Foyer du Soldat, St. Nicholas-au-Port 
(Meurthe-et- Moselle). Born, Sept. 23, 1866. 
Sailed, Feb. 17, 1918. Place of burial. United 
States. Next of kin, Mrs. George T. Files, 
Hotel Touraine, Boston, Mass. 

FISHER, HARRY G. Washington, D. C. 

Life Insurance Agent. Died, Camp Hospital 
52, Le Mans, Feb. 19, 1919, of pneumonia. En- 
tertainment Director, Le Mans. Bom, July 19, 
1879. Sailed, Oct. 11, 1918. Place of burial, 
grave 187, Officers' Row, Grand Cemetery, Le 
Mans. Next of kin, Mrs. Harry G. Fisher, 
wife, 443 S. Emerson St., Denver, Col. 

FULTON, MAURICE O. St. Petersburg, Fla. 
Automobile Dealer. Died, Florence, Italy, 
March 12, 1919, of hemorrhage. Secretary, 
American permissionnaires. Born, May 3, 1875. 
Sailed, Aug. 8, 1918. Place of burial, Allori 
Cemetery-vault, Florence, Italy. Next of kin, 
Fred H. Fulton, father, Montpelier, O. 

GALE, BESSIE Jacksonville, Fla. 

Teacher of Music. Died, Camp Hospital 29, 
Camp Hunt, Le Corneau (Gironde), Feb. 11, 
1919, of heart failure. Secretary, Le Corneau. 
Born, April 24, 1872. Sailed, Oct. 4, 1918. 
Place of burial, grave 29, Section A, AEF 
Cemetery 25, Talence (Gironde). Next of kin, 
Frank H. Gale, brother, Schenectady, N. Y. 

GAY, DOROTHEA New York, N. Y. 

Scenario Reader. Died, Base Hospital 6, 
Bordeaux (Gironde), Nov. 9, 1918, of pneumo- 
nia. Business Secretary, Regional Office, Bor- 
deaux. Born, Sept. 24, 1888. Sailed, Aug. 29, 
1918. Place of burial, grave 23, Section A, 
AEF Cemetery, Talence (Gironde). Next of 
kin, William W. Gay, father, 157 W. 105th 
St., New York, N. Y. 

GIBSON, HARRY B. Avalon, Pa. 

Traffic Manager. Killed, Argonne front near 
Sedan, Nov. 7, 1918, by (ierman shell. Secre- 
tary, 16th Infantry, 1st Division, AEF. Born, 
May 8, 1882. Sailed, Dec. 7, 1917. Place of 
burial. South of Sedan, near Bourmont. Next 
of kin, Mrs. H. B. Gibson, wife, 307 Cleveland 
Av, Avalon, Pa. t 



OVERSEAS 



231 



GROSE, RICHARD C. Toronto, Ont. 

Minister. Died, French Hospital, Melun 
(Seine-et-Marne), June 6, 1919, of meningitis. 
Secretary, Religious Work Department, Head- 
quarters, Paris. Previous assignment. Religious 
Work Director, AEF, Great Britain. Born, 
Sept. 10, 1865. Sailed, June 4, 1918. Place of 
burial, grave 866, YMCA Plot, American Cem- 
etery, Suresnes-sur-Seine (Seine). Next of kin, 
Mrs. R. C. Grose, wife, 534 Devorcourt Rd., 
Toronto, Ontario. 

GUTH, PIERCE P. Allentown, Pa. 

Bookkeeper. Died, LaRochelle, Oct. 21, 
1918, of pneumonia. Accountant, Headquar- 
ters, La Rochelle. Born, July 20, 1882. Sailed, 
Aug. 15, 1918. Place of burial, grave 30, 
American Section, St. Elor Cemetery, La Ro- 
chelle. Next of kin, Mrs. Pierce P. Guth, wife, 
18 N. 13th St., Allentown, Pa. 

HARDY, JOSEPH F. Independence, Mo. 

Minister. Died, Issoudun (Indre) , Oct. _ 6, 

1918, of pneumonia. Secretary, 3d Aviation 
Instruction Center, Issoudun. Born, Nov. 23, 
1875. Sailed, July 21, 1918. Place of burial, 
AEF Cemetery 32, Issoudun (Indre). Next 
of kin, Mrs. J. F. Hardy, wife, 701 W. Maple 
Av., Independence, Mo. 

HEFFLON, JOSEPH H. Winchester, Mass. 
Teacher. Died, A. R. C. Hospital 101, 
Neuilly (Seine), Jan. 6, 1919, of pneumonia. 
Secretary, 3d Division, AEF. Bom, 1869. 
Sailed. April 12, 1918. Place of burial, grave 
111, YMCA Plot, American Cemetery, Sures- 
nes-sur-Seine (Seine). Next of kin, Mrs. J. 
H. Hefflon, wife, 51 Myrtle Terrace, Win- 
chester, Mass. 

HOSIE, EUGENIE C. Scranton, Pa. 

Died, Base Hospital 40, Liverpool, England, 

March 4, 1919, of pneumonia. En route to 

Paris. Born, Oct. 16, 1887. Sailed, Jan. 30, 

1919. Place of burial. Southern Cemetery, 
Manchester, England. Next of kin, Mrs. 5. 
B. Price, mother, 1727 Washington Av., Scran- 
ton, Pa. 

JOHNSON, FRANK L. Newark, Ohio 

YMCA Secretary. Killed near Aintab, Tur- 
key, Feb. 1, 1920. by Turkish brigands. Sec- 
retary, France. Previous assignments, Gibral- 
tar and Constantinople. Born, Nov. 18, 1878. 
Sailed, Dec. 1, 1917. Place of burial, American 
Cemetery, College Yard, Aintab, Turkey. Next 
of kin. Mrs. Frank L. Johnson, wife, S. Con- 
gress St., Athens, Ohio. 

JOHNSON, JOHN T. West Point, Ga. 

Municipal OfEcer. Died, AEF Base Hospital 
53, Marseilles, Oct. 30, 1918, of pneumonia. 
Secretary, Traffic Department, Marseilles. Bom, 
Feb. 3, 1874. Sailed, Aug. 26, 1918. Place of 
burial, grrave trench 25, AEF Section, St. 
Pierre Cemetery, Marseilles. Next of kin, Mrs. 
John T. Johnson, wife. West Point, Ga. 

JONES, THOMAS B. Brooklyn, N. Y. 

Lawyer. Died, Paris, Dec. 14, 1918, of pneu- 
monia. Secretary, Legal Department, Head- 
quarters, Paris. Born, 1868. Sailed, Dec. 15, 
1918. Place of burial, grave 110, YMCA Plot, 
American Cemetery, Suresnes-sur-Seine 

(Seine). Next of kin, Southwell Jones, brother, 
27 Harley House, Marylebone Road, London, 
N. W., England. 



KIME, CLAUDE V. Ridgway, Pa. 

Designer. Died, Evacuation Hospital 21, 
Bazoilles-sur-Meuse (Vosges), Feb. S, 1919, of 
pneumonia. Secretary, Gondrecourt. Born, 
Dec. 8, 1870. Sailed, Nov. 12, 1918. Place 
of burial, grave 490, AEF Cemetery 6, Ba- 
zoilles-sur-Meuse. Next of kin, Mrs. R. V. 
Kime, mother, 200 South St., Ridgway, Pa. 

KNIGHT, ALICE J. Natick, Mass. 

Missionary Deaconess. Died, Pruniers Camp 
Hospital 43, Feb. 21, 1919, of pneumonia. 
Secretary, Educational Department. Born, 
Tan. 21, 1860. Sailed, Sept., 1918. Place of 
burial, grave 2065, Officers' Plot, Gievres Amer- 
ican Cemetery 331. Next of kin, Mrs. E. A. 
Pendleton, sister, 41 Johnson St., Waterbury, 
Conn. 

KOHL, H. 

Enlisted overseas. Died of pneumonia, Nov. 
16, 1918. No further record. 

LAW WILL, HUGH S. Indianapolis, Ind. 

Shop Superintendent. Died, Paris, Nov. 13, 
1918, of heart disease. Secretary, Motor Trans- 
port Department, Headquarters, Paris. Born, 
Feb. 9, 1878. Sailed, Sept. 10, 1918. Place of 
burial, grave 108, YMCA Plot, American Cem- 
etery, Suresnes-sur-Seine (Seine). Next of kin, 
Mrs. H. S. Lawwill, wife, 1035 Eugene St., 
Indianapolis, Ind. 

LOOMIS, CHARLES Palm Beach, Fla. 

Physician. Died, AEF Evacuation Hospital 
9, Coblenz, Germany, Jan. 12, 1919, of pneu- 
monia. Secretary, 42d Division, AEF. Born, 
Nov. 12, 1867. Sailed, July 14, 1918. Place 
of burial, AEF Cemetery, Coblenz, Germany. 
Next of kin, Mrs. Charles Loomis, wife. Palm 
Beach, Fla. 

LINN, JOHN A. New York, N. Y. 

Teacher. Killed near Apremont, Argonne 
front, Oct. 8, 1918, by Austrian shell. Secre- 
tary, 5th Field Artillery, 1st Division, AEF. 
Bora, Sept. 9, 1872. Sailed, _ Feb. 2, 1918. 
Place of burial, grave 1, section 20, plot 1, 
Romagne-sous-Montfaucon (Meuse). Next of 
kin. Rev. J. M. Linn, father, 7731 N. Marshall 
Av., Chicago, 111. 

LUEDERS, JEAN (MRS. LEWIS B.) 

Philadelphia. Pa. 
Died at sea on the S.S. Northland, Oct. 10, 

1918, of pneumonia. En route to Paris. Born, 
May 16, .1882. Sailed, Oct. 3, 1918. Buried at 
sea. Next of kin, Annie M. Munro, sister, 26 
Albany St., Edinburgh, Scotland. 

McCOMBER, STEWART A. 

Schenectady, N. Y. 
Teacher of Physical Training. Died, Ameri- 
can Hospital, Neuilly (Seine), Nov. 5, 1919, 
of meningitis. Associate Physical Director, 
Foyer du Soldat, Paris. Born, July 30, 1871. 
Sailed, March 1, 1918. Place of burial, Amer- 
ican Cemetery, Suresnes-sur-Seine (Seine). 
Next of kin, Mrs. S. A. McComber, wife, 318 
Putnam Av., Detroit, Mich. 

McCREARY, JAMES B., Jr. Buffalo, N. Y. 
Aviator. Died, Prague, Bohemia, July 5, 

1919, of fractured skull. Cinema Department, 
International Committee, Prague. Previous as- 
signment, Cinema Department, Paris. Born, 
Sept. 9, 1893. Sailed, March 18, 1918. Place 
of burial, Prague. Next of kin, James B. Mo 
Creary, father, Buffalo, N. Y. 



232 



WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 



MARSH, CLARK H. Fullerton, Cal. 

Minister. Died, Camp Hospital 82, Le 
Havre, March 4, 1919, of pneumonia. Educa- 
tional Director, Le Havre. Born, Feb. 6, 
1877. Sailed, June 28, 1918. Place of burial, 
grave 4, row O, division 65, American Section, 
Ste. Marie Cemetery, Le Havre. Next of kin, 
Mrs. Clark H. Marsh, wife, 116 May Av., 
Monrovia, Cal. 

MARTIN, WINONA C. 

Rockville Center, L. I., N. Y. 
Librarian. Killed, Hospital Claude Bernard, 
Paris, March 11, 1918, during German air raid. 
Awaiting assignment. Born, May 21, 1882. 
Sailed, Feb. 2, 1918. Place of burial, grave 
114, YMCA Plot, American Cemetery, bures- 
nes-sur-Seine (Seine). Next of kin, Elizabeth 
E. Martin, aunt, 80 Lenox Road, Rockville 
Center, N. Y. 

MOON, JOHN L. Sanford, Fla. 

Minister. Died, S.S. San Jacinto, Cherbourg 
Harbor, Feb. 22, 1919, of paralysis. En route 
to France. Born, Nov. 21, 1879. Sailed, Feb. 
12, 1919. Place of burial, grave 1, row O, 
division 65, Ste. Marie Cemetery, Le Havre. 
Next of kin, Mrs. J. L. Moon, wife, Sanford, 
Fla. 

MURRAY, WALTER R. East Orange, N. J. 
Minister. Died, Nogent, near Cond-en-Bie 
(Meaux), July 16, 1918, from shrapnel wounds. 
Secretary, 2d Battalion, 109th Infantry, 28th 
Division, AEF. Born, Sept. 1, 1877. Sailed, 
Oct. 27, 1917. Place of burial, grave 1, Officers' 
Row, American Cemetery near Romandie, be- 
tween Verdun and Cond-en-Bie. Next of kin, 
Mrs. W. R. Murray, wife, 83 Sussex Av., East 
Orange, N. J. 

NAUFFTS, RALPH R. Charlestown, Mass. 
Salesman. Died, Field Hospital 35, Feb. 28, 
1919, of pneumonia. Entertainment Secretary, 
7th Division, AEF. Born, Feb. 20, 1885. Place 
of burial, grave 10, American Cemetery on 
Minorville-Royammeix Road. Next of kin, 
Mrs. A. Nauffts, mother, 7 Monument Sq., 
Charlestown, Mass. 

NOBEL, CHARLES S. Portland, Ore. 

, Construction Engineer. Died, Tours Camp 
Hospital 27, Feb. 3, 1919, of bronchitis. Con- 
struction Secretary, Tours. Bom, Dec. 30, 
1868. Sailed, Nov., 1918. Place of burial, 
grave 54, Officers' Plot, American Cemetery 33, 
Tours. Next of kin, Mrs. C. S. Nobel, wife, 
563 E. Madison St., Portland, Ore. 

OSEN, ERIC G. Lyons, Kan. 

Minister. Died, Bazoilles Base Hospital 46, 
Dec. 4, 1918, hemorrhage. Secretary, 77th Di- 
vision, AEF. Born, July 7, 1872. Sailed, 
Sept. 24, 1918. Place of burial, grave 477, 
Officers' Plot, American Military Cemetery. 
Bazoilles-sur-Meuse (Vosges). Next of kin, 
Mrs. E. G. Osen, Lyons, Kan. 

PACE, ROY B. Swarthmore, Pa. 

Teacher. Died, Base Hospital 43, Blois, Aug. 
27, 1918, of pneumonia. Secretary, Blois. 
Sailed, May 26, 1918. Place of burial, grave 
32, Plot Q, American Section, City Cemetery, 
Blois. Next of kin, Mrs. R. B. Pace; wife, 
1819 G St., Washington, D. C. 



PERRY, JAMES Camden, Me 

Minister. Killed near Aintab, Turkey, Feb 
1, 1920, by Turkish brigands. General Secre 
tary for Turkey. Previous assig^nment. Sec- 
retary, AEF, Bordeaux; Foyer du Soldat, 
France and Germany. Born, 1887. Sailed in 

1917. Place of burial, American Cemetery, 
College Yard, Aintab. Next of kin, Mrs, 
James Perry, wife, Camden, Me. 

PETERSON, ARTHUR F. Waupaca, Wis 
YMCA Student. Died, Presbyterian Hos- 
pital, New York City, March 5, 1918, result of 
operation. Secretary, Prisoners of War, Petro- 
grad, Russia. Born, 1890. Sailed, Sept. 29 
1917. _ Place of burial, Waupaca, Wis. Next 
of kin, William Peterson, father, Waupaca 
Wis, 

PHINNEY, EDWIN C. Minneapolis, Minn 
Banker. Died, Military Hospital, Blois, Feb 
25, 1918, of pneumonia. Secretary, Casual Offi 
cers' Depot, Blois. Born, April 9, 1880. Sailed 
Jan. 10, 1918. Place of burial, grave 2, Amer- 
ican Section, French Catholic Cemetery, Blois 
Next of kin, Wm. T. Chapman, uncle, 96 
Walnut St., Springfield, III. 

POWELL, SAMUEL A. San Francisco, Cal. 
Motion Picture Producer. Died, U. S._ _S. 
Santa Cecelia, May 8, 1919, of appendicitis. 
Entertainment Secretary, Theatre Albert, 
Paris. Born, Aug. 12, 1874. Sailed, Dec. 18, 

1918. Place of burial, San Francisco, Cal. 
Next of kin, Mrs. S. A. Powell, wife, 625 
Asbury St., San Francisco, Cal. 

PRITCHETT, ROBERT S. Philadelphia, Pa. 

Minister. Drowned, Dar-es-Salam Harbor, 
German East Africa, Sept. 24, 1918. Secretary, 
Negro troops, Dar-es-Salam. Born, May 13^ 
1886. Sailed, July 15, 1917. Place of burial, 
Dar-es-Salam. Next of kin. Tames A. Prit- 
chett, father, 818 Walnut St., Wilmington, Del. 

RANSOM, LORRAINE New Rochelle, N. Y. 
Secretary. Died, Camp Hospital 43, Pruniers 
(Loir-et-Cher) , Feb. 24. 1919, of pneumonia. 
Business Secretary, Gievres (Loir-et-Cher). 
Born, Jan. 30, 1892. Sailed. Sept. 21, 1918. 
Place of burial, grave 2066. AEF Cemetery 331, 
Gievres. Next of kin, Mrs. A. P. Dennis, 
aunt. New Rochelle, N. Y, 

RICHARDSON, HARRY L. Elmira, N. Y. 
Advertiser. Died, Florence, Italy, Jan. 22, 

1919. of Bright's disease. Secretary, Casa del 
Soldato, Florence, Italy. Born. 1881. Sailed, 
Sept. 2, 1918. Place of burial. Receiving Vault, 
Cemetery degli Allori, Florence. Next of kin, 
Lola Fav Richardson, wife, 502 William St., 
Elmira, N. Y. 

ROBERTS, JOHN I. Trenton, Mo. 

Professor, University of Chicago. Died, 
Lucknow, India, Nov. 6, 1918, of pneumonia. 
Secretary, Army Branch, Lucknow. Previous 
assignment, Secretary, England. Born, 1894. 
Sailed, April, 1917. Place of burial, Lucknow, 
India. Next of kin, George E. Roberts, father, 
Trenton, Mo. 

ROBERTSON, NELLIE Virginia, 111. 

Supt. Industrial School. Died, Camp Hos- 
pital 55, Marseilles, March 23, 1919, of typhoid 
feven Secretary, Marseilles. Born, 1877. 
Sailed, Nov. 23, 1918. Place of burial, grave 
584, AEF Cemetery. _ Next of- kin, J. T. Rob- 
ertson, father, Virginia, 111. 



OVERSEAS 



233 



ROGERS, ALICE C. Riverside, Conn. 

Died, Claude Bernard Hospital, Paris, March 
21, 1919, of meningitis. Secretary, Le Havre. 
Bom, 1872. Sailed, Dec. 21, 1918. Place of 
burial, grave 112, YMCA Section, Arne Ceme- 
tery, Suresnes-sur-Seine. Next of kin, Charles 
T. Pierce, cousin, 88 Washington Av., Brook- 
lyn, N. Y. 

ROGERS, FAITH H. Superior, Wis. 

Musician. Died at sea, S.S. Espagne, Nov. 6, 

1918, of heart trouble. En route to Paris. 
Bom, 1896. Sailed. Oct. 31, 1918. Place of 
burial, grave 25, AEF Cemetery 25, Talence 
(Gironde). Next of kin. Harris Rogers, father, 
1410 21st St., Superior, Wis. 

ROSE, W. C. 

Died at London, England.^ Sept. 27, 1918, of 
pneumonia. Book and Periodical Department, 
Headquarters, London. Recruited in England, 
militarized civilian. No further record. 

ROWE, WILLIAM H. Citronelle, Ala. 

Minister.' Died at Semur-en-Auxois (Cote 
d'Or), Jan. 20, 1919, of pneumonia. Religious 
Secretary, Semur-en-Auxois. Born, 1866. 
Sailed, Nov. 4, 1918. Place of burial, grave 9, 
row 1, plot 1, American Cemetery, Semur-en- 
Auxois. Next of kin, Mrs. W. H. Rowe, wife, 
Citronelle, Ala. 

ROWLEY, BLANCHE A. Rochester, N. Y. 
Stenographer. Died at Knotty Ash Camp 
Hospital, Liverpool, England, Nov. 23, 1919, of 
pneumonia. En route to Paris. Born, 1886. 
Sailed. Jan. 29. 1919. Place of burial. Roch- 
ester, N. Y. Next of kin, William N. Rowley, 
father, 658 Main St., Rochester, N. Y. 

RUSSELL, ELIZABETH L. 

New York City, N. Y. 
Teacher. Died at sea, S.S. Northland, Oct. 
10, 1918. of influenza. En route to England. 
Born, 1872. Sailed, Oct. 3, 1918. Buried at 
sea. Next of kin, George I. Russell, uncle. 
New Bedford, Mass. 

SANT, WILLIAM W. East Liverpool, Ohio 
Rhodes Scholar. Died, El Arish Hospital. 
Palestine, Tune 17. 1917, of dysentery. Field 
Secretary, British forces. Cairo, Egypt. Sailed, 
Dec. 11, 1915. Place of burial, Egypt. Next 
of kin. Mrs. John Sant, mother, East Liver- 
pool, Ohio. 

SCOTT, THOMAS L. Indianapolis, Ind. 

Business man. Died at Bordeaux, March 11, 

1919, of pneumonia. Regional Secretary, Bor- 
deaux. Born, 1869. Sailed. Nov. 9, 1917. 
Place of burial, grave 33, section A, Bordeaux- 
Talence Cemeterv. Next of kin, Mrs. T. L. 
Scott, wife, 2152 N. Delaware St., Indianapolis, 
Ind. 

SELIGMAN, SOL. L. Nashville, Tenn. 

Salesman. Died at Paris,_ May 24, 1919, of 
pneumonia. Secretary, Uniform Department, 
Headquarters, Paris. Bom, 1890. Sailed, 
July 7, 1918. Place of burial, grave 113, 
American Cemetery, Suresnes-sur-Seine Next 
of kin, Harry Seligman, brother, 1404 Buchan- 
an St., Nashville, Tenn. 

SEYMOUR, HENRY P. Sparkill, N. Y. 

Minister. Died, St. Louis Hospital, Paris, 

Oct. 24, 1917, result of fall. Secretary, 1st 



Division, AEF. Born, June 10, 1869. Sailed, 
Sept. 13, 1917. Place of burial, grave 115, 
AEF Cemetery 34, Suresnes-sur-Seine. Next 
of kin, Mrs. Emma D. Hart, sister, 37 E. 53d 
St., New York City, N. Y. 

SHAW, HENRY C. Cambridge, Mass. 

■ Lawyer. Killed, Montrichard, May 28, 1918, 
in automobile accident. Secretary, Thezee. 
(Loir-et-Cher) Sailed, May 30, 1918. Place of 
burial, French Cemetery, Montrichard. Next 
of kin, Charles B. Shaw, father, 17 Forest St., 
Cambridge, Mass. 

SLOCUM, ESTHER Newark, N. J. 

Stenographer. Died, AEF Hospital 5, May 
5, 1919, result of operation. Secretary, Audit- 
ing Department, Headquarters, Paris. Born, 
1886. Sailed, Nov. 3, 1917. Place of burial, 
grave 29, American Plot, Cascade Cemetery, 
Nice. Next of kin, Mrs. S. T. Slocum, mother, 
476 Broadway, Long Branch, N. J. 

SMITH, HALLIDAY S. Nyack, N. Y. 

Banker. Killed, front line dugout near Bac- 
carat. May 26. 1918, by German gas shell, 
42d Division, AEF. Born, 1887. Sailed, Nov. 
29, 1917. Place of burial, grave E 12, Officers' 
Row, French Military Cemetery, Baccarat. 
Next of kin, Spencer C. Smith, father, Nyack, 
N. Y. 

SWEET, BENJAMIN V. Rockland, Me. 

Osteopath. Died at Paris, April 4, 1919, re- 
sult of automobile accident. Secretary, Mailing 
Department, Headquarters, Paris. Born, 1881. 
Sailed, Feb. 9, 1918. Place of burial, grave 
116, YMCA Section, American Cemetery, 
Suresnes-sur-Seine. Next of kin, Mrs. B. V. 
Sweet, wife, Rockland, Me. 

VALENTINE, GERTRUDE C. Albany, N. Y. 
Teacher. Died at Le Mans, July. 11, 1919, 
result of automobile accident. Secretary, 7th 
Division. AEF. Born, 1890. Sailed, Sept. 17, 
1918. Place of burial, grave 177, section A, 
Grand Cemetery, Le Mans. Next of kin, Mrs. 
Clarence Valentine, mother, 80 Chestnut St., 
Albany, N. Y. 

VAN SCHAICK, JOHN B. 

Huntington, L. I., N. Y. 
Farmer-Lawver. Died at Evacuation Hos- 
pital 3, Treve's, Germany. .Dec. 11, 1918, of 
bronchitis. Secretary, 4th Division, AEF. Born, 
1865. Sailed, March 20, 1918. Place of burial, 
Town Cemetery 356-50, Treves, Germany. Next 
of kin, Mrs. J. B. Van Schaick, wife, Hunting- 
ton, L. I. 

VORHEES, JOHN B. Hartford, Conn. 

Minister. Died in New York City, result of 
wounds received in France. Secretary, 26th 
Division, AEF. Born, 1875. Sailed, Mav 6, 
1918. Place of burial. United States. Next 
of kin, Mrs. J. B. Vorhees, wife, 854 Asylum 
St., Hartford, Conn. 

VROOMAN, MARJORIE Clyde, N. Y. 

Teacher and Social Worker. Died at Cau- 
terets, Pyrenees, March 4, 1919, of pneumonia. 
Secretary, Cauterets. Born, 1891. Sailed, Oct. 
27, 1918. Place of burial, grave 32A, Talence 
Cemetery near Bordeaux. Next of kin, Dr. W. 
R. Vrooman, father, Clyde, N. Y. 



234 



WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 



WALSH, GEORGE H. Philadelphia, Pa. 

Salesman. Died at Queenstown, Ireland, U. 
S. Naval Hospital 4, Oct, 18, 1918, of influ- 
enza. Secretary, Queenstown, Ireland. Born, 
1883. Sailed, Sept. 2, 1918. Place of burial, 
Philadelphia, Pa. Next of kin, S. H. Walsh, 
father, 203 Walnut St., Philadelphia, Pa. 

WELLWOOD, ROBERT New York City, N. Y. 
* Missionary to China. Killed, May 19, 1918, 
in enemy air raid on British lines. Secretary, 
Chinese coolies, Blargies. Born, 1864. Sailed, 
Jan. 27, 1918. Place of burial, grave C6, plot 
1, Communal Cemetery, Blargies. Next of kin, 
Mrs. Robert Wellwood, wife, care of A. B. M. 
S., Ford Bldg., Boston, Mass. 

WHITE, EDITH Petaluma, Cal. 

Died at Chaumont, Base Hospital 90, March 
13, 1919, of meningitis. Secretary, Montigny- 
sur-Aube, 8th Army Corps, AEF. Born, 1886. 
Sailed, Jan. 8, 1919. Place of burial, grave 55, 
Officers' Plot, AEF Cemetery 10, Chaumont. 
Next of kin, Mrs. J. H. White, mother, Peta- 
luma, Cal. 



WILLING, HERMAN S. Moline, 111. 

Editor. Died, Camp Hospital 64, Chatillon- 
sur-Seine, Nov. 22, 1918, of pneumonia. Sec- 
retary, 80th Division, AEF. Born 1873. Sailed, 
May 14, 1918. Place of burial, grave 1, 
Chatillon-sur-Seine. Next of kin, Mrs. H. S. 
Willing, wife, 440 44th St., Moline, 111. 

WOODHEAD, HOWARD Pittsburgh, Pa. 

Teacher. Died at St. Germain-en-Laye 
(Seine-st-Oise), June 8, 1919, of pneumonia. 
Secretary, Foyer du Soldat, St. Germain-en^ 
Laye. Born, 1877. Sailed, March 30, 1918. 
Place of burial, grave 867, YMCA Section, 
Arne Cemetery, Suresnes-sur-Seine. Next of 
kin, Mrs. H. Woodhead, wife, 2131 North St., 
Logansport, Ind. 

ZINN, JEANETTE York, Pa. 

Buyer. Died, Moseley Hill Hospital, Liver- 
pool, England, Oct. 4, 1918, of pneumonia. En 
route to Paris. Sailed, Sept. 1, 1918. Born, 
May 27, 1892. Place of burial, United States. 
Next of kin, Mr. William Zinn, father, 452 
West College Av., York, Pa. 



Home Camps 



AYRES, EDWIN T. San Francisco, Cal. 

Garage Owner. Died, Mare Island, Cal., 
Nov. 3, 1918, of influenza. Motor Transport 
and Warehouse Secretary, Mare Island. Born, 
1884. Next of kin, Mrs. Edwin T. Ayres, 
wife, 619 Central Av., San Francisco, Cal. 

BARKER, J. HARRY Rochester, N. Y. 

Merchant. Died, Camp McClelland, Ala., 
Oct. 29, 1917, of pneumonia. Secretary, Camp 
McClelland. Born, 1877. Next of km, Mrs. 
J. H. Barker, wife, 66 Linden St., Rochester, 
N. Y. 

BARNES, WESLEY W. Nebraska City, Neb. 
Minister. Died, St. Luke's Hospital, New 
York City, Dec. 2, 1918, of influenza. At- 
tending 27th conference at Columbia University. 
Born, 1882. Next of kin, Mrs. W. W. Barnes, 
wife, 112 S. 9th St., Nebraska City, Neb. 

BARTOW, LATHROP New York, N. Y. 

Agriculturist. Died, New York City, Dec. 9, 
1918, of pneumonia. Secretary, Physical De- 
partment, Fort Jay. Born, 1886. Next of kin, 
Mr. C. S. Bartow, father, 33 West 73d St., 
New York City. 

BEAN, OREN N. Cavendish, Vt. 

Minister. Died, North Springfield, Vt., Oct. 
13, 1918, of pneumonia. Awaiting sailing. 
Born, 1871. Next of kin, Mrs. O. N. Bean, 
wife. Cavendish, Vt. 

BENN, WILLIAM B. East Lansing, Mich. 
Minister. Died, Great Lakes, 111., Oct. 25, 
1918, of influenza. Religious Work Secretary, 
Naval Training Station, Great Lakes. Bom, 
1887. Next of kin, Mrs. W. B. Benn, wife, 
509 Mt. Hope St., East Lansing, Mich. 

BLAKE, BERNARD T. St. Paul, Minn. 

Art and Dramatic Student. Died, Camp 
Mills, L. I., Oct. 15, 1918, of pneumonia. 
Social Secretary, Camp Mills, L. I. Born, 
1892. Next of kin, Mrs. Andrew Call, aunt, 
1212 Ashland Av., St. Paul, Minn. 



BOLT, ERIC P. Bend, Ore. 

High School Principal. Died, Vancouver, 
Wash., Nov. 9, 1918, of influenza. Camp Gen- 
eral Secretary, Vancouver. Born, 1892. Next 
of kin, Mrs. E. P. Bolt, wife, care of Army 
YMCA, Vancouver, Wash. 

BRENNEMAN, WILLIAM D. Oregon, Wis. 
Minister. Died, Great Lakes, HI., Oct. 2, 
1918, of influenza. Educational Secretary, 
Naval Training Station, Great Lakes. Born, 
1887. Next of kin, Mrs. W. D. Brenneman, 
wife, Homewood, Ohio. 

BRAXTON, RUSSELL B. New York, N. Y. 
Steward. Died, Camp Lee, Va., Aug. 8, 
1918, of tuberculosis. Educational Secretary, 
Camp Lee. Born, 1876. Next of kin, Mrs. R. 
B. Braxton, wife, 2311 7th Av., New York City. 

BURSON, D. C. Brewton, Ala. 

Dentist. Died, Okalona, Miss., Oct. 10, 1918, 
of pneumonia. Business Secretary, Camp 
Sheridan, Ala. Born, 1877. Next of kin. Miss 
Blanche D. Burson, sister, Atmore, Ala. 

BURTON, WALTER A. Halsted, Pa. 

Died, Pelham Bay Park, N. Y., Oct. 3, 1918, 
of pneumonia. Building Secretary, Naval Re- 
serve, Pelham Bay Park. Born, 1878. Next 
of kin, Mrs. W. A. Burton, wife, Halsted, Pa. 

CARR, WALTER A. Adams, Mass. 

Electrician. Died, Adams, Mass., Oct. 21, 
1918, of influenza. Awaiting sailing. Born, 
1883. Next of kin, Mrs. W. A. Carr, wife, 
6 Mill St., Adams, Mass. 

CASTO, EUGENE LAYTON Greenville, Ky. 
School Superintendent. Died, Camp Taylor, 
Ky., Oct. S, 1918, of pneumonia. Camp Social 
Secretary, Camp Taylor. Born, 1890. Next 
of kin, Mr. G. R. Casto, father, Millwood, 
W. Va. 



HOM^ CAMPS 



235 



CHAMBERLIN, C. O. Crescent City, Fla. 
Bank Cashier. Died, Base Hospital, Camp 
Jackson, S. C, Oct. 10, 1918, of pneumonia. 
Business Secretary, Camp Jackson. Bom, 1889. 
Next of kin, Mrs. R. G. Chamberlin, mother. 
Crescent City, Fla. 

COURSON, ERNEST L. Adel, Ga. 

Minister. Died, Base Hospital, Camp Tay- 
lor, Ky., Dec. 3, 1918, of pneumonia. Secre- 
tary, Chaplain's Training School, Camp Tay- 
lor. Born, 1888. Next of kin, Mrs. J. Branch, 
mother, 156 Vine St., Macon, Ga. 

CRAMSIE, EDWARD A. New York City 

Secretary. Died, New York City, Nov., . 
1918, of pneumonia. Office Secretary, Educa- 
tional Bureau, War Personnel Board, Head- 
quarters, N. Y. Born, 1891. Next of kin, 
Mr. E. A. Cramsie, -father, 2191 7th Av., New 
York City. 

CUNNINGHAM, RICHARD H. Chicago, 111. 
R.R. Agent. Died, Base Hospital, Camp 
Taylor, Ky., June 3, 1919, result of operation. 
Social Secretary, Camp Taylor. Born, 1869. 
Next of kin, Mrs. R. H. Cunningham, wife, 
4233 Washington Blvd., Chicago, 111. 

DAMEL, ELBERT P. Jefferson City, Mo. 

Teacher. Died, Camp Funston, Kan., Oct. 
18, 1918, of pneumonia. Social Secretary. 
Camp Funston, Kan. Born, 1894. Next of 
kin, Mr. M. Darnel, father, 786 Clark Av., 
Jefferson City, Mo. 

DAMERON, STEPHEN G. C. Selmer, Tenn. 
School Principal. Died, Base Hospital, Camp 
Wheeler, Ga., Nov. 29, 1918, of pneumonia. 
Athletic Secretary, Camp Wheeler. Born, 
1885. Next of kin, Mrs. S. G. C. Dameron, 
wife, Selmer, Tenn. 

DOWNEY, PAUL Niagara Falls, N. Y. 

Student. Died, Syracuse, N. Y., Oct. 17, 
1918, of influenza. Secretary, Students' Army 
Training Corps, Syracuse University, Syracuse. 
Bom, 1898. Next of kin, Mr. W. J. Downey, 
father, 643 6th St., Niagara Falls, N. Y. 

EDWARDS, CLAUDE A. Charlestown, Mo. 
Accountant. Died, Base Hospital, Camp 
Taylor, Ky., Oct. 19, 1919, of pneumonia. 
Assistant Secretary, Camp Taylor. Born, 1893. 
Next of kin, Mrs. O. A. Grenshaw, sister, 
Charlestown, Mo. 

EPPES, WILLIAM R. Athens, Ga. 

Broker. Died, Base Hospital, Camp McClel- 
land, Ala., Jan. 6, 1919, of pneumonia. Physi- 
cal Secretary, Building, Camp McClelland. 
Born, 1892. Next of kin, Mrs. W. R. Eppes, 
wife, Athens, Ga. 

FANCHER, JOHN E. Pittsburgh, Pa. 

Teacher. Died, Camp Merritt, N. J., Sept. 
10, 1918, of pneumonia. Educational Secre- 
tary, Auditorium, Camp Merritt. Born, 1879. 
Next of kin, Mrs. J. E. Fancher, wife, 1143 
Biltmore Av., Pittsburgh, Pa. 

GARRY, ROBERT C. Lockport, N. Y. 

Bible Teacher. Died, Camp Wadsworth, S. 
C, Jan. 17, 1918, of pneumonia. Born, 1846. 
Next of kin, Mrs. Robert C. Garry, wife, Webb 
St., Lockport, N. Y. 



GRIFFITH, WILLIAM C. Boston, Mass. 

Singer. Died, Boston, Mass., Sept. 25, 
1918, of pneumonia. Activities Secretary, 
Northeastern Department Headquarters, Bos- 
ton. Born, 1890. Next of kin, Mrs. W. C. 
Griffith, wife, 520 Audubon Rd., Boston, Mass. 

HAMBY, E. H. Buchanan, Cal. 

Salesman. Died, Georgia State Sanitarium, 
Ga., Jan., 1918, nervous collapse. Educational 
Secretary, Camp Sevier, Greenville, S. C. Next 
of kin, Mrs. E. H. Hamby, wife. Marietta, Ga. 

HILL, CHARLES E. Orlando, Fla. 

Automobile Dealer. Died, Hotel Statler, 
Buffalo, N. Y., Oct. 20, 1918, of pneumonia. 
Recruiting Secretary, War Personnel Board, 
Headquarters, N. Y. C. Born, 1876. Next 
of kin. Miss Geraldine Hill, daughter, Dayton, 
Ohio. 

HOAGLAND, AMOS N. Oxford, N. J. 

Physical Director. Died, Oxford, N. J., 
Oct. 17, 1918, of influenza. Awaiting sailing. 
Born, 1884. Next of kin, Mrs. A. N. Hoag- 
land, wife, care of W. K. La Bar, Strouds- 
burg, Pa. 

HOUSE, GEORGE A. West Orange, N. J. 

Phonograph Demonstrator. Died, Base Hos- 
pital, Camp Lee, Va., Oct. 22, 1918, hardening 
of the arteries. Assistant Secretary, Camp 
Le*e. Born, 1855. Next of kin, Mrs. C. W. 
Norton, daughter, 43 Park Av., West Orange, 
N. J. 

HOWE, GEORGE O. Dallas, Tex. 

Accountant. Died, Roosevelt Hospital, New 
York City, Oct. 3, 1918, of pneumonia. Await- 
ing sailing. Born, 1881. Next of kin, Mrs. 
George O. Howe, wife, 413 West Jefferson St., 
Dallas, Texas. 

HUNT, CHARLES N. Macon, Ga. 

Lawyer. Killed, Iowa City, March 30, 1919, 
by train en route to Camp Dodge, la. Sec- 
retary, Troop Train Service, U. S. A. Pre- 
vious assignment. Lecturer Educational De- 
partment, Paris, France. Born, 1855. Next 
of kin, Mrs. C. N. Hunt, wife, 219 Duff St., 
Macon, Ga. 

JEWETT, ELIZABETH Nyack, N. Y. 

Died, Nyack, N. Y., Jan. 1, 1919, of influ- 
enza. Clerk, Filing Department, War Per- 
sonnel Board, Headquarters, New York City. 
Next of kin, Mrs. Richard D. Jewett, mother, 
Nyack, N. Y. 

KEMERER, SAMUEL W. San Antonio, Tex. 
Minister. Died, Camp Travis, Texas, Dec. 
22, 1917, of pneumonia. Religious Work Di- 
rector, Camp Travis. Born, 1872. Next of 
kin, Mrs. S. W. Kemerer, Kerrville, Texas. 

KONRAD, JOHN Boston, Mass. 

Real Estate Dealer. Died, Boston, Mass., 
Oct. 7, 1918, automobile accident. Awaiting 
sailing. Born, 1872. Next of kin, Mrs. John 
Konrad, wife, 106 Forest Hill St., Jamaica 
Plains, Mass. 

LAWRENCE, J. S. Fort Worth, Tex. 

Theological Student. Died, Camp Bowie, 
Texas, Dec. 23, 1918, of pneumonia. Assist- 
ant Secretary, Camp Bowie. Born, 1879. Next 
of kin, Mrs. J. S. Lawrence, wife, Seminary 
Hill, Fort Worth, Texas. 



236 



WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 



LEVI, HENRY E. Talladega, Ala. 

High School Principal. Killed, Camp Wheel- 
er, Ga., Aug. 31, 1918, by lightning, while on 
duty. Religious Secretary, Camp Wheeler. 
Born, 1866. Next of kin, Mrs. H. E. Levi, 
wife, 402 W. Battle St., Talladega, Ala. 

LOERCH, HENRY J. Highland Lake, N. Y. 
Draftsman. Died, Base Hospital, Camp Dix, 
N. J., Sept. 26, 1918, of pneumonia. Physical 
Director, Camp Dix. Born, 1887. Next of kin, 
Mrs. H. J. Loerch, wife, 104 Lincoln St., 
Jersey City Heights, N. J. 

MAGEE, THOMAS W. 

Died, Nogales, Ariz., Camp Secretary, 35th 
Infantry, Nogales, Ariz. No further record. 

MAHIN, HARRY H. Arlington, Ind. 

High School Principal. Died, Naval Train- 
ing Station, Great Lakes, III., Oct. 6, 1918, 
of pneumonia. Educational Secretary, Great 
Lakes Naval Training Station. Born, 1884. 
Next of kin, Mrs. H. H. Mahin, wife, Arling- 
ton, Ind. 

MEYER, CHARLES M. Grand Rapids, Mich. 
Died, Camp McArthur, Tex., Oct. 8, 1918, 
of pneumonia. Religious Secretary, Camp Mc- 
Arthur, Tex. Next of kin, Mrs. C. M. Meyjr, 
wife, 1012 Baldwin St., Grand Rapids, Mich. 

MORELAND, SINCLAIR San Antonio, Tex. 
Died, San Antonio, Tex., Oct. 7, 1Q18, of 
pneumonia. Physical Director, Kelly Field, 
Tex. Born, 1885. Next of kin, Mrs. S. More- 
land, Sequin, Tex. 

NEALON, EDWARD T. Paterson, N. J. 

Died, Sept. 22, 1919, of influenza. Physical 
Director, Camp Merritt, N. J. No further 
record. 

PALMER, E. T. Hollywood, Cal. 

Automobile Dealer. Died, Hollywood, Cal. 
March 27, 1919. Secretary, Camp Keamev, 
Cal. Born. 1876. Next of kin, Mrs. E. T. 
Palmer, wife, 1545 Formosa Ave., Hollywood, 
Cal. 

PECKMANN, HENRY R. Elgin, 111. 

Teacher. Died, Base Hospital, Camp Fun- 
ston, Kan., Oct. 8, 1918. of influenza. Educa- 
tional Director, Camp Funston. Bom, 1883. 
Next of kin, Mrs. S. Peckmann, mother, 1018 
S. Main St., Bloomington, 111. 

PIERCE, RAYMOND G. Wakefield, Mass. 
Clerk. Died. Boston, Mass., Sept. 15, 1918, 
of influenza. Building Secretary, Charlestown 
Navy Yard, Boston. Born, 1893. Next of 
kin, A. N. Pierce, father, Greenfield, Mass. 

POTTENGER, AVERY K. Indianapolis, Ind. 
Landscape Architect. Died, Basf Hospital, 
Great Lakes Naval Training Station, 111., 
March 5, 1919, of pneumonia. Educational 
Secretary. Camp Farragut, Naval Training 
Station, Great Lakes. Next of kin, Mrs. A. K. 
Pottenger, wife, De Kalb, 111. 

POTTER, JAMES V. Mt. Morris, Pa. 

Minister. Died, Mt. Morris, Pa., Nov. 24, 

1918, of pneumonia. Awaiting sailing. Born, 



1884. Next of kin, Mrs. J. V. Potter, wife, 
Mt. Morris, Pa. 

SCOTT, MARK L. Des Moines, la. 

Died, April 4, 1919, of influenza. Secre- 
tary Army Branch, Iowa State Committee. 
Next of kin, Mr. J. W. L. Scott, father, Mt. 
Pleasant, la. 

SELBY, LESLIE Vincennes, Ind. 

Teacher. Died, Base Hospital, Great Lakes 
Training Station, 111., Sept. 29, 1918, of 
influenza. Assistant Educational Secretary, 
Camp Decatur, Great Lakes Training Station. 
Born, 1891. Next of kin, Mr. N. S. Selby, 
father, 117 N. 6th St., Vincennes, Ind. 

SHUCK, LUTHER M. San Francisco, Cal. 
Principal. Died, Leland Stanford Univer- 
sity, Cal., Nov. 10, 1918, of influenza. Y M 
C A Training School, Leland Stanford Uni- 
versity. Bom, 1858. Next of kin, Mrs. L. M. 
Shuck, wife, 6327 California St., San Fran- 
cisco, Cal. 

SIMS, COMER Mobile, Ala. 

Cotton Broker. Died, New York City, Oct. 
9, 1918, of pneumonia. Awaiting sailing. 
Born, 1875. Next of kin, Mr. A. T. Sims, 
father, Midland City, Ala. 

STEDMAN, HAROLD B. Holyoke, Mass. 

Stenographer. Died, Fort Slocum, Oct. 8, 
1918, of pneumonia. Secretary, overseas 
training section, War Personnel Board, New 
York Citv. Born, 1893. Next of kin, Mr. 
W. S. Stedman, father, 9 Suffolk Street, 
Holyoke, Mass. 

WALTRIP, REUBEN A. Buffalo, Tex. 

Minister. Died, Fort Bliss, Tex., Oct. 9, 
1918, of pneumonia. Building Secretary, Fort 
Bliss. Born, 1882. Next of kin, Mrs. R. A. 
Waltrip, wife, Jewelt, Tex. 

WEATHERBY, ALBERT 

San Francisco, Cal. 
Efliciency Expert. Died, St. Luke's Hos- 
pital, New York City, Sept. 28, 1918, of acute 
indigestion. Attending 19th Conference, Co- 
lumbia University. Born, 1870. Next of kin, 
Mrs. Albert Weatherby, wife, 1435 Alvarado 
Terrace, Los Angeles, Cal. 

WHEELER, HIRAM H. Urbana, 111. 

Clerk. Died, Urbana, 111., Oct. 15, 1918, of 
pneumonia. Born, 1881. Next of kin, Mrs. 
H. H. Wheeler, wife, 812 W. Clark St., Ur- 
bana, 111. 

WILSON, WILLIAM Green Bay, Wise. 

Insurance Agent. Died, Springfield Hospital, 
Springfield, Mass., Dec. 13, 1918, of apoplexy. 
Attending Training Conference, Springfield. 
Born 1874. Next of kin, Mrs. Wm. Wilson, 
wife, 6 Buengenen Apts., Green Bay, Wise. 

YAEGER. CHARLES Mount Carmel, Pa. 

R. R. Inspector. Died, Crouse Irving Hos- 
pital, Syracuse, N. Y., of pneumonia. As- 
sistant Secretary, Camp Syracuse. Born, 18'87. 
Next of kin, Mrs. Charles Yaeger, wife, 115 
N. Maple St., Mount Carmel, Pa. 



237 



WOUNDED AND GASSED 

The following is a list of men and women wounded or gassed under fire. 
This list is based upon medical reports, insurance statements or the statement 
made by the individual on release sheets. 



AMBS. LEWIS 
Los Angeles, Cal. 

ARMBRUST, JOSEPH H. 
Boston, Mass. 

ARMSTRONG, ROBERT 

Northampton, Mass. 

AZARIAN, JOSEPH A. 
Pasadena,- Cal. 

BALLEW. WILLIAM E. 
Lexington, 111. 

BARKER, MANDEVILLE, J., JR. 
Uniontown, Pa. 

BARTHOLOMEW, HERBERT O. 
Brookville, Pa. 

BEAUMAN, JAMES H. 
South Bend, Ind. 

BLAKE, WILLIAM A. 

Jamaica Plains, Mass. 

BRADLEE, CHARLES W., JR. 
Providence, ,R. I. 

BRADLEY, HORACE 

East Orange, N. J. 

BRANNEN, ELEANOR 
New York, N. Y. 

BRIGGS, EDWARD P. 

Buffalo, N. Y. 

BROWN, ARCHIBALD 
Red Bank, N. J. 

BROWN, HARRY G. 

Hackensack, N. J. 

BULKLEY, DAVID B. 
Bonita, La. 

CAMPBELL, BARLOW M. 
Bainbridge, Ga. 

CANNELL, FRANK B. 
Brookline, Mass. 

CARRINGTON, JOHN J. 
Huntington, Tenn. 

CHASE, HARRY L. 
South Braintree, Mass. 

CHAUDRON, PAUL V. 
Mobile, Ala. 

CLARK, GEORGE E. 
Akron, O. 

CLIFFORD, JOHN R. 
Tucson, Ariz. 

COOK, HUGH O. 
Kansas City, Mo. 

COURTWRIGHT, WILLIAM L. 
Larkspur, Cal. 

CRESSY, WILLIAM 
New York, N. Y. 

CROSS, E. W. 
Grinnell, la. 



D'ANTONIO, JOHN 
Springfield, Mass. 

DAWES, FRED A. 
Newark, N. J. 

DERR, HARVEY R. 
Wooster, O. 

DEVAN, SCOVILLE T. 
Columbus, O. 

DIETZ, ARTHUR L. 
Los Angeles, Cal. 

DILLON, WILLIAM W. 
Estacado, Ore. 

DOUGLASS, ARTHUR M. 
Manitou, Col. 

DOWNER, SAMUEL W. 
Downer, N. J. 

ELWOOD, JOHN L. 

Irvington, N. J. 

EVANS, JACK C. 
Miles City, Mont. 

EVERS, JOHN U. 
Martinsburg, W. Va. 

FALCONER, ROBERT C. 

Exeter, Mass. 

FONVILLE, LEROY R. 

Burlington, N. C. 

GAULD, FRED. 

Arlington, Mass. 

GREGG, DAVID 

Eastern Shore, Md. 

HaIdLEY, THOMAS F. 
Richland, la. 

HAINES, CHARLES C. 
Middletown, N. Y. 

HAMBLIN, CHARLES R. 
Rushville, N. Y. 

HANCOCK, ARTHUR 
La Grange, 111. 

HANEY, HARVEY S. 
Quakertown, Pa. 

HARTLEY, ROBERT A. 
Quincy, 111. 

HINTON, CHARLES O. 
Paris, Ky. 

HINTS, WILLIAM 
Osceola, la. 

HOLLOWAY, PERCY T. 

Ellasville, Ga. 

HOWE, FRANK L., JR. 
East Orange, N. J. 

HOWELL, WALTER D. 
Detroit, Mich. 

HOWES, DAVID H. 
Wilmington, N. C. 



238 



WAR WORK OF THE AMERICAN YMCA 



HUGGINS, WILLIAM L. 
Coolidge, Ga. 

HUME, MARION C. 
Ottumwa, la. 

HUNGERFORD, ARTHUR E. 

Baltimore, Md. 

HUNTER, GEORGE J. 
Detroit, Mich. 

INNES, FREDERICK E. 
Hartford, Conn. 

JEWETT, EDMUND H. 

New York, N. Y. 

JOHNSON, BENTON V. 
Detroit, Mich. 

JOHNSON, MARTIN R. 
Brooklyn, N. Y. 

JOHNSTON, MERCER C. 
Baltimore, Md. 

JONES, VICTOR R. 
Easton, Pa. 

KENNEDY, DANIEL 

Somerville, Mass. 

KRUPAR, ANTHONY C. 
Chesterfield, Va. 

LAU, OSCAR M. 
Des Moines, la. 

LEONARD, ASA K. 
Ithaca. N. Y. 

LEWIS, EDGAR S. 
Cincinnati, O. 

MacCLINCHIE, ROBERT E. 
St. Louis, Mo. 

McCORD, ROLLA E. 
Glenellyn, 111. 

McGEACHY, JOHN A. 
St. Paul, N. C. 

McKEE, HERBERT 
Fowler, Cal. 

MALE, H. L. 

Brooklyn, N. Y. 

MAURER, OSCAR 
New Haven, Conn. 

METCALF, JOEL 
Winchester, Mass. 

MILLER, BERNETTA A. 
New York, N. Y. 

MORRIS. CLYDE C. 
Idabel, Okla. 

NELSON, H. WILLIAM 
Lowell, Mass. 

NEPP, MARTIN L. 
Corona, N. Y. 

PALMER, ASHER F. 
Bellingham, Wash. 

PARSELL, ALFRED P. 

Auburn, N. Y. 

PATTON, JOHN W. 
Anderson, Pa. 

PERKINS, G. LAWRENCE 
Pomfret, Conn. 



PEST, B. THOMAS 
Newark, N. J. 

PETTY, OSCAR E. 
Lewiston, Mont. 

PHILLIPS, ARTHUR 

Boston. Mass. 

PINKERTON, HENRY 
Jacksonville, 111. 

PRESTON, BRYANT C. 
Palo Alto, Cal. 

PRETTYMAN, WILLIAM B 
Pittsburgh, Pa. 

ROBERTSON, ROBERT 
Oakland, Cal. 

ROWE, GEORGE T. 
Dublin, Ga. 

SAYERS, CHARLES 
Lancaster, Pa. 

SEWELL, EMMETT K. 
Wynne, Ark. 

SHERMAN, PAULA 
New York, N. Y. 

SIDLEY, THOMAS H. 
Evanston, 111. 

SMITH, ARTHUR L. 
Rosalin, Va. 

SMITH, FREDERICK C. 
Indianola, la. 

SMITH, HENRY F. 

West Medford, Mass. 

SMITHERS, KELLY C. 
Frankfort, N. Y. 

SNOW. ROBERT C. 
Hyde Park, Mass. 

STUART, SIDNEY 
New York. N. Y. 

TALMADGE, DAVID H. 
New York. N. Y. 

TAYLOR. JAMES 
Chicago, III. 

TOULON, HOMER V. 
Philadelphia. Pa. 

TRUEX, WALTER 
Syracuse. N. Y. 

VAN EMDEN, IRA H. 
Mt. Vernon, N. Y. 

VAN EPPS, FRANK M. 
Chicago, 111. 

VARNUM, ALGERNON B. 
Hyannis, Mass. 

WALCH, ALBERT W. 
Petersburg, Va. 

WALKER, ELI 
Stockton, Kan. 

WALKER, ORVILLE W. 
Nakato, Minn. 

WALLACE, WALTER 
Richmond, Va. 

WANAMAKER, OLIN D. 
Dallas, Tex. 



WOUNDED AND GASSED 



239 



WARD, WALTER G. 
Aurora, Neb. 

WARREN, FRANK G. 
Stockton, Cal. 

WATKINS, GLENN 
Lakewood, Cleveland, O. 

WATSON, ALEXANDER P. 
Knoxville, Tenn. 

WELLS, DANIEL 
Detroit, Mich. 

WEST, FRANK H. 
Loda, 111. 

WHARTON, HENRY 
Philadelphia, Pa. 



WHITE, HARRY C. 
Bound Brook, N. J. 

WILBOR, THOMAS W., JR. 
New Britain, Conn. 

WILLIAMS, LINSEY E. 
Manchester, Tenn, 

WILLIS, GUY A. 
Darlington, Mo. 

WILLMER, SARAH 
Chicago, 111. 

WILSON, GEORGE C. 
San Jose, Cal. 

WYMAN, LEON E. 
Cleveland Heights, O. 



iiir'BRARY OF CONGRESS 



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